THE  ROVAL  MAIL 

STEAM    PACKET    CO. 

IRew  ^ov^       Mest  UnMes       Soutbampton 

Steamships  of  6,000  tons,  magnificently  equipped,  sail  every  alter- 
nate Saturday  from  New  York  and  alternate  Wednesdays  from 
Southampton,  calling  at 

:{Sarba&09  G^riniDaC)         %n  (3ua^ra 

Puerto  Colombia         Colon  Jamaica 

connecting  at  Barbados  with  Company's  Inter-Island  Mail  Services 
to  Grenada,  St.  Vincent,  St.  Lucia,  Dominica,  Montserrat,  Antigua, 
Nevis  and  St.  Kitts. 


Orchestras,    Music    Rooms,    Smoking-   Rnoms, 
Cabins  de  Luxe  and  spacious  promenade  decks 

WINTER  AND  SUMMER  TOURS 

Through  tickets  to  North  and  South  Pacific  ports  via  Colon 

Brasil  anb  HrQcntina 

Fastest  and  most  luxurious  route  to  South  America  via  Southamp- 
ton, Eng.  Steamers  of  10,000  tons,  weekly  from  Southampton,  calling 
at  Cherbourg,  Corunna,  Vigo,  Lisbon,  Madeira,  St.  Vincent,  Pernara- 
buco,  Bahia,  Rio  de  Janeiro,  Santos,  Montevideo,  Buenos  Ayres. 

T/irouj^A  bookings  from  New  York  in  connection 
ivith  North   Atlantic   Lines  at  reduced  rates 

TOUR  OF  SOUTH  AMERICA— Ifew  York  to  Southampton,  Spain,  Por- 
tag:al,  Brazil,  Arg:entina,  across  tlie  Andes  to  Valparaiso,  Pacific 
ports  to  Panama,  Colon,  Jamaica,  New  York.       Cost  $500. 

THE     ROYAL    MAIL    STEAM    PACKET     COMPANY 
Head  Office  :  18  Moorgate  Street,   London,  E.  C. 

General  Agents  for  United  States  and  Canada: 
SANDERSON  &  SON,  22  State  Street,   Nlw  York 


BOOTH  LINE 

NORTH    BRAZIL     AND    AMAZON 
RIVER  PORTS,    Via  BARBADOS,  W.  I. 

New  York  to  Para  and  Manaos 

5th  and  23th  OF  EACH  MONTH 

New  York  to  Para,  Maranham  and  Ceara 

Ihh  OF  EACH  MONTH 
Steamer  of  the  1 1th  takes  caigo  for  Parnahyba  (via  Maianham) 


Round    Trip   to  Barbados 

Including  4  days'  hotel  expenses 

$75.00 

IQUITOS,  PERU,  SERVIC^ 

MONTHLY  SERVICE  TO 
IQUITOS,    PERU.  Via  r^'^^R^OOL 

THROUGH     BILLS     OF    LADING     ISSUED 

BOOTH  &  CO., 

AGENTS 

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Picturesque  Porto  Rico 

Maj'  be  reached  ONCE  A  WEEK  in  WINTER 

by  the  fine  steamers  of 

THE  NEW  YORK  AND  PORTO  RICO 
STEAMSHIP  COMPANY 

One  hundred  hours  on  tranquil  summer  seas,  between  New  York 
and  San  Juan,  with  its  ancient  forts  and  mediaeval  castles  ;  the 
great  King's  Highway,  a  mountain  road  connecting  with  Ponce, 
80  miles  in  length,  smooth  as  a  floor,  climbing  3,000  feet  above  the 
sea,  through  three  zones  of  wonderful  vegetation,  to  be  seen  nowhere 
else  in  the  world  in  such  perfection  on  so  short  a  trip. 


ZonvB  to  anb  arounb  tbe  llelanb 

are  our  special  features.  These  tours  occupy  three  weeks'  time, 
and  are  ideal  in  every  respect.  New  steamers,  5,000  tons  in  capacity, 
equipped  with  every  device  for  the  comfort,  convenience  and  safety 
of  the  passengers.  -•  "v-^ly  outside  staterooms,  circle  the  island, 
stopping  at  the  nui,.  interesting  and  historic  localities.     The 

ship  is  the  tourist's  home— a  floating  hotel— during  the  entire  trip,  so 
that  the  labor,  inconvenience  and  uncertainty  of  land  travel  are 
avoided. 

The  special  tourist  rate  for  this  cruise  is  $140,  which  includes 
every  expense.  Write  for  illustrated  booklet,  giving  details  of  the 
voyage  and  containing  attractive  pictures  of  Porto  Rico. 

^be  IRcw  HJork  atiD  iporto  IRico  Steamsblp  Compani? 


12     BROADWAY 


N  E  \V    YORK 


Hamburg-American  Line 

ATLAS  SERVICE 

Weekly  service  by  superb  new  **  Prinz ''  and  other 
steamers  to 

JAMAICA,       COLOMBIA 
COSTA    RICA   and    PANAMA 

The  "Prinz"  steamers  are  splendid  vessels  of 
about  6,000  tons,  specially  constructed  and  luxu- 
riously furnished  for  travel  in  tropical  waters.  They 
offer  the  tourist  every  comfort  and  convenience 

A  25-day  cruise  to  JAMAICA,  CENTRAL  AMERICA 
and  PANAMA  CANAL,  sailin§:  every  week,  costs 

%\\5   and   $125 

Also  special  cruises  during  the  <winter  months  by  splendid  t%>in-scre^ 
cruising  steamers.      Send  for  beautifully  illustrated  booklets,  etc, 

HAMBURG-AMERICAN  LINE 


BOSTON 


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PHILADELPHIA         CHICAGO         ST.  LOUIS         SAN  FRANCISCO 


?o  BERMUDA 

Weekly    from   New   York,    forty-five    hours    by   new   twin 
screw  S.  S.  "  Bermudian. " 

BERMUDA   TO   NASSAU   fortnightly    in    February   and 
March  by  S.  S.    "Trinidad." 


« 


WEST  INDIES 

NEW  S.  S.  '^GUIANA''  and  other  steamers  fortnightly  for 
St.  Thomas,  St.  Croix,  St.  Kitts,  Antigua,  Dominica,  Gaude- 
loupe,  Martinique,  St.  Lucia,  Barbados,  and  Demerara. 


For  illustrated piDuphUt,  passages,  etc.,  write 

A.  E.  OUTERBRIDGE  &  CO., 

Agents,  Quebec  S.  S.  Co.,  Ltd.,  29  Broadway,  New  York 

ARTHUR    AHERN,  Secretary,    Quebec,    Canada,   or   THOS.    COOK    &   SON 

and  their  agencies 


B  E  R  MU  DA 

that  unique  and  beautiful  land  of  perpetual  sum- 
mer, where  rest,  health  and  pleasure  await  you, 
is  unquestionably  the  healthiest  and  most 
delightful  spot  in  the  world.  It  is  the  IDEAL 
WINTER  RESORT.  Temperature  in  winter 
averages  65  degrees  and  does  not  vary  three  de- 
grees during  the  entire  day. 


©eorge 


IS    BERMUDA'S     BEST     HOTEL 

A  modern  stone  structure,  built  in  1906,  on  the  eminence 
of  Rose-Hill,  overlooking  the  beautiful  harbor  of 
St.  George's!  England's  oldest  colonial  possession),  with 
magnificent  views,  extensive  grounds,  private  baths, 
luxurious  furnishings,  sun  parlors,  spacious  verandas, 
large  ball-room,  varied  social  features,  orchfestra,  ten- 
nis, golf,  boating,  fishing,  ocean-bathing,  riding  and 
driving. 

CUISINE  AND  SERVICE  OF  HIGHEST  STANDARD 

Our  cuisine  is  far  superior  to  anything  heretofore  attempted  in 
Bermuda,  and  is  not  excelled  by  the  best  hotels  in  the  States. 

RATES  MODERATE 

The    "Sea    Venture,"    attached    to    the  "St    George"  (see 
illustration),     is     the     most     unique     cafe     in     the     world 

For  descriptive  booklet  and  full  particulars^  address 

PHILIP  MANSOX,  Proprietor         1180  Broadway,  New  York 


A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST  INDIES 


Cascade,  Jardin  des  Plantes,  Martinique 


A    GUIDE 

TO  THE 

WEST    INDIES    AND 
BERMUDAS 

BY 

FREDERICK    A.    OBER 

Author  of 

"Camps  in  the  Caribbees," 
"Travels  in  Mexico," 
"  Puerto  Rico  and  Its  Resources," 
"Our  West  Indian  Neighbors" 
Etc.,     Etc. 

WITH     MAPS    AND    MANY    ILLUSTRATIONS 


NEW   YORK 

DODD,    MEAD    &    COMPANY 

1908 


COPYRIGHT,  1908 
By  DODD,   mead  &   COMPANY 

Published  February,  1908 


StacK 

^    c 


CONTENTS       J^ 


7 


PAGE 

The  West  Indies i 

Steamship  Routes,  Bermudas  and  West  Indies    .      .  14 

The  Bermudas 21 

The  Bahamas 45 

Cuba 72 

North  Coast  of  Cuba 106 

South  Coast 118 

The  Great  Cuba  Railway 131 

Jamaica 145 

Santo  Domingo 213 

Haiti 255 

Porto  Rico 273 

Saint  Thomas  and  Virgin  Islands 316 

Saint  Kitts 336 

Nevis 340 

Montserrat 344 

Antigua 346 

Barbuda 349 

Guadeloupe 351 

Dominica 359 

Martinique 371 

St.  Lucia 387 

Saint  Vincent 397 

Barbados 409 

Grenada  and  the  Grenadines 429 

Tobago 440 

Trinidad 451 

A  Glimpse  of  South  America 499 

Index 511 


ILLUSTRATIONS 


Cascade,  Jardin  des  Plantes,  Martinique       .      .     Frontispiece 

Palms  of  the  Caribbean,  St.  Vincent       .      .     Facing  page  lo 

Pineapple  Plantation.  Nipe  Bay,  Cuba   .      .  "  "      ii 

Devonshire  Church.  Bermudas     ....  "  "20 

Hamilton  Harbour,   Bermudas     ....  "  "21 

Devil's  Hole,   Bermudas "  ''32 

Ireland  Island,  Bermudas "  "33 

St.   George's,   Bermuda "  "44 

Silk-cotton  Tree,  Nassau "  "45 

Fort  Fincastle.  Nassau "  ''54 

North  Shore  of  Watling's  Island     ...  "  "      55 

Landing   Place,  Turk's  Island      ....  "  "68 

Coffee  Tree,  Cuba "  "69 

A  Hearse  in  Havana "  ''80 

General  Maximo  Gomez  and  Family     .      .  "  "      81 

In  the  Vuelta  Abajo  Region "  "96 

A  Patio.     Cuban  Residence "  "97 

Typical  West  Indian  Street "  ''112 

A  Watch-tower  on  the  Trocha     ....  "  "113 

Rums  of  Fort  at  Caney,  Cuba     ....  "  "    124 

Cayo  Smith,  Santiago  Harbour   ....  "  "    125 

View  near  Kingston,  Jamaica      ....  "  "    140 

Port  Maria  Harbour,  Jamaica     ....  "  "    141 

Castleton  Gardens,  Jamaica "  "    I54 

Hanover      Street,      Kingston      (after     the 

earthquake) "  "    I55 

Hotel  Titchfield.   Port  Antonio,  Jamaica    .  "  "    178 

Port  Antonio  Harbour "  "    179 

Rums   Caused   by  the  Earthquake,    Kings- 
ton, Jamaica 

Roaring  River  Falls.  Jamaica 

Puerto  Plata.  Santiago  Railway  .... 
Site  of  Isabella  City,  Founded   1493     .      . 

Columbus  J^Iausoleum,  Santo  Domingo      .  " 


viii  ILLUSTRATIONS 

Columbus  Vault,   Santo  Domingo  Cathedral 
Interior  of  Church,  Santo  Domingo  City  . 
Columbus  Casket,  Santo  Domingo     . 
The  IMarket  Place,  Cape  Haitien       .      . 
The  Parade,  Sans  Souci,  Haiti    .... 
Custom    House    Wharf,    San    Juan,    Porto 

Rico 

Luquillo  Mountains,  Porto  Rico  .... 
Coast  of  Porto  Rico,  near  Aguadilla 

Scene  in  Porto  Rico 

Plaza  Alfonzo  XII,  San  Juan       .... 
Shore  of  Great  Harbour,  Culebra     . 
Country  Habitation,  Porto  Rico  .... 
Charlotte  Amalia,   St.  Thomas     .... 
Negro  Labourers,  Virgin  Islands     . 
Scene  on  a  Sugar  Plantation       .... 

The  Town  of  Bottom,  Saba 

Landing  Place,   Saba 

Fort  Orange,   St.  Eustatius 

Gateway  of  Fort  Orange,  Statia       .      .      . 

Brimstone  Hill,  St.  Kitts 

A  Bit  of  Basse  Terre 

The  "Circus,"  Basse  Terre,  St.  Kitts     .      . 

Charleston  Landing,   Nevis 

Birthplace   of  Alexander   Hamilton.    Nevis 
Saint  John's  Harbour,  Antigua   .... 

Cascade,  Guadeloupe 

Harbour  of  Pointe  a  Pitre 

Mountain  Valley,  Dominica 

Town  of  Roseau,  Dominica 

^Mountain  Lake.  Dominica 

A  Carib  Girl,   Dominica 

St.    Pierre    and    Mont    Pelee    (before    the 

eruption  of   1902; 

The  "Obelisk"  of   Mont   Pelee    (after  the 

eruption) 

Victor  Hugo  Street,  St.  Pierre  (before  the 

eruption) 

Ruins  of  Saint  Pierre,  Martinique    . 
Fort  de  France,  Martinique 


Facii 

ng  page  231 

•'  248 

" 

"  249 

" 

"  262 

*' 

"  263 

(( 

"  272 

a 

"  273 

" 

"  282 

" 

"  283 

(( 

"  300 

" 

"  301 

a 

"     315 

" 

"  316 

" 

"     323 

" 

"     324 

" 

"  330 

" 

"  331 

i( 

"  334 

" 

"  335 

" 

"  338 

" 

"  339 

" 

"  342 

"  343 

" 

"  346 

"  347 

" 

"  350 

ii 

"  351 

" 

"     358 

" 

"  359 

" 

"  364 

« 

"  365 

(t 

"  370 

<c 

"  371 

" 

"  376 

(t 

"  377 

ti 

"  380 

ILLUSTRATIONS 


Statue  of  Josephine,  Fort  de  France     . 

Ste.   Alarie,   Martinique 

Port  of  Castries,  St.  Lucia 

The  Pitons,   St.  Lucia 

Kingston  Bay,  St.  Vincent 

After  the  Eruption,  St.  Vincent  .... 

Ruined  Sugar  Estate  ('"Lot  14"),  St.  Vin- 
cent         

Wallibou  Sugar  Works,  Destroyed  by 
Eruption  of  the  Soufriere       .... 

Weighing  Sugar,  Bridgetown,  Barbados     . 

Fountain  in  Garden,  Bridgetown 

B^thsheba  Beach,  Barbados 

Where  Washington  Worshipped,  St. 
Michael's  Church 

Native  Huts.  Barbados 

Forest  of  Cocoa  Pahiis.  Barbados    . 

The  Grand  Etang,  Grenada 

Cacao  Tree  and  Fruit,  Grenada    .... 

Cocoa  Palms  of  Tobago 

Louis  d'Or  Estate,  Windward  Coast, 
Tobago        

Off  the  Bocas,  Trinidad 

Port  of  Spain,  Trinidad 

Government  House,  Trinidad       .... 

A  Coolie  Female,  Trinidad 

A  View  of  the  Pitch  Lake,  Trinidad     . 

A  Street  in  Curasao 


Facing  page  381 
386 


MAPS 


Bermuda  Islands      . 

Cuba,  Jamaica  and  the  Bahama  Islands 

Jamaica 

Porto    Rico 

West  Indies 


A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST  INDIES 


THE  WEST   INDIES 

General  Description.  The  West  Indian  archipelago,  con- 
taining an  immense  number  of  isles  and  islets,  with  a 
total  area  of  about  92,000  square  miles,  lies  between  the 
continents  of  North  and  South  America,  and  consists  of 
the  Bahamas,  the  Greater  Antilles  and  the  Lesser  An- 
tilles. The  Greater  Antilles  comprise  some  82,000  square 
miles,  and  their  prevalent  character  is  mountainous,  with 
the  highest  elevation  in  Haiti  (over  10,000  feet);  the 
highest  of  the  Lesser  Antilles  in  Dominica,  5,000  feet. 
Nearly  all  the  islands  are  mountainous,  taken  as  groups, 
except  the  Bahamas,  which  are  low-lying.  Thus  they 
present  every  variety  of  scenery,  from  that  of  the  coral 
island  lying  almost  awash  with  the  waves,  to  the  grand 
mountains  of  Cuba,  Jamaica,  Haiti  and  Dominica,  tower- 
ing aloft,  and  clothed  in  tropical  vegetation  from  sea- 
surrounded  bases  to  cloud-wreathed  summits.  The  high- 
est of  these  mountains  are  in  the  northern  islands;  but  all 
the  volcanoes,  active  and  quiescent,  are  in  the  southern, 
or  the  Lesser  Antilles. 
Climate.  The  climate  of  the  entire  archipelago  is  tropi- 
cal, with  extremes  in  temperature  (as  on  high  moun- 
tains and  humid  sea-coast)  of  55°  and  100°  ;  with  an  aver- 
age mean  of  72''  for  the  cool  months,  and  of  80°  for  the 
warm  months  of  summer.  The  annual  rainfall  is  heavy, 
but  most  of  it  occurs  in  summer ;  and.  by  the  operation  of  a 
natural  law  equally  gratifying  to  the  Northern  tourist  in 
search  of  sunbeams  in  winter,  this  season  is  also  the  most 
healthful.  It  is  likewise  free  from  cyclones,  which  some- 
times devastate  the  islands  within  the  "hurricane  area."  The 
heavy  rains  fall  from  June  to  October,  and  the  hurricanes 
(when  they  occur)  are  most  destructive  in  the  months  of 
early  autumn.     In  the  winter  months  the  glorious  vegeta- 


2  A  GUIDE  TO   THE  WEST   INDIES 

tion  appears  at  its  best,  the  fruits  are  ripening,  the  sugar- 
cane is  being  harvested ;  in  fact,  tropical  Nature  is  then 
wreathed  in  smiles  and  ready  with  a  welcome.  On  the 
whole,  the  climate  is  extremely  healthful,  and  conducive  to 
longevity. 

Natural  Productions.  The  West  Indian  fauna  and  flora 
are  purely  tropical,  partaking  of  the  South  American  char- 
acteristics. Native  mammals  are  very  scarce,  hence  but 
little  shooting  offers,  except  in  a  few  islands  like  Barbuda, 
Trinidad,  Santo  Domingo  and  Cuba.  The  fishing,  however, 
is  excellent,  all  around  the  islands'  shores,  the  captures 
ranging  from  flying-fish  to  sharks,  presenting  a  great  variety. 

Indigenous  fruits  and  vegetables  are  numerous,  compris- 
ing many  kinds  wholly  unknown  to  the  temperate  zone. 
Sugar,  cacao,  coffee,  and  tobacco  are  the  great  staples,  others 
in  order  of  importance  being  bananas,  oranges,  lemons, 
cocoanuts,  cotton,  limes,  pimento,  indigo,  nutmegs,  maize, 
ginger,  annatto,  aloes,  sassafras,  castor-beans,  yams,  sweet 
potatoes,  eddoes,  manioc.  The  varied  fruits  include,  be- 
sides those  mentioned,  the  mango,  custard-apple,  cashew, 
grape-fruit,  pineapple,  pomegranate,  mamey,  papaya,  plan- 
tain, shaddock,  soursop,  star-apple,  sweet-sop,  tamarind, 
chirimoya,  avocado  pear,  granadilla,  sapodilla,  etc.,  etc. 

Many  islands  can  boast  forests  of  mahogany,  fragrant 
cedar,  lignum  vitae.  logwood,  ironwood,  green-heart,  fustic, 
palms  in  many  species,  and  scores  of  other  valuable  woods. 

Gold,  which  was  at  one  time  very  abundant,  is  yet  found 
in  several  streams  of  Santo  Domingo  and  Porto  Rico.  Cop- 
per and  iron  occur  in  Cuba,  Jamaica,  and  the  Virgin 
Islands,  which  last  also  yield  large  amounts  of  phosphatic 
rock.  Scarcely  an  island  in  the  West  Indies  exists  without 
thermal  or  mineral  springs,  while  those  of  Cuba,  Jamaica 
and  Porto  Rico  have  won  a  reputation  for  the  efficacy  of 
their  waters,  in  the  cure  of  numerous  diseases,  that  has  be- 
come world-wide. 

Population.  The  total  population  is  something  more 
than  6,000,000,  of  which  number  about  two-thirds  are 
blacks,  or  with  African  blood  in  their  veins.  The  whites 
predominate  in  Cuba  and  Porto  Rico,  the  blacks  in  Haiti 
and  Jamaica,  as  well  as  in  the  smaller  islands.     The  na- 


THE  WEST  INDIES  3 

tionalities  represented  are  English,  Spanish,  French,  Dutch, 
Danish,  African,  East  and  West  Indian ;  of  the  last  two 
the  East  Indies  being  represented  by  imported  coolies,  and 
the  West  Indies  by  a  few  hundred  Caribs,  descendants  from 
the  aboriginal  inhabitants  of  the  Lesser  Antilles.  No 
descendant  survives  of  the  Indians  who  once  occupied  the 
Greater  Antilles,  to  the  number,  when  the  Spaniards  first 
came  here,  of  several  millions,  for  they  were  exterminated 
by  the  conquerors  within  a  century  of  their  arrival. 

History.  The  West  Indies  are  interesting  because  here 
American  history,  so  far  as  it  relates  to  the  white  race  in 
these  islands  and  in  the  Western  Hemisphere,  had  its  be- 
ginning. Although  there  exist  no  important  remains  of  the 
aborigines,  who  left  behind  them  no  traces  of  their  existence 
save  stone  implements  of  warfare  and  utensils  for  domestic 
use,  carved  images  and  fragments  of  pottery,  here  we  find 
relics  of  the  first  settlements,  and  can  follow  intelligently 
the  routes  pursued  by  the  Spaniards  in  their  conquest.  On 
one  of  the  islands  in  the  mid-Bahamas,  probably  Watlings 
or  Eleuthera,  Columbus  first  landed,  October  12,  1492.  On 
the  north  coast  of  Cuba,  probably  in  the  port  of  Gibara,  he 
made  acquaintance  with  the  Cubans,  to  whom  he  sent  an 
embassy  with  a  message  from  his  king.  In  Haiti  the  port 
is  to  be  seen  where  he  first  found  gold  in  quantities;  off 
the  bay  of  Cape  Haitien  he  lost  his  flagship,  and  on  the 
shore  he  built  the  first  fort ;  at  the  mouth  of  the  Yaqui 
saw  what  he  took  to  be  mermaids,  but  which  were  prob- 
ably manatis ;  at  the  Bay  of  Arrows,  in  the  Gulf  of  Samana, 
Santo  Domingo,  he  had  his  first  encounter  with  Indians. 
All  the  scenes  connected  with  important  events  of  his  first 
voyage — by  which  the  route  to  America  was  first  opened — 
may  be  identified,   and   followed  by  the   traveller. 

On  his  second  voyage  he  first  sighted  land  at  Dominica, 
in  the  Lesser  Antilles,  where  still  reside  a  few  descendants 
of  the  Indians  he  encountered  and  whom  he  made  knov.n 
to  Europe  as  cannibals.  The  spring  at  which  he  watered 
his  ships,  in  Porto  Rico,  may  be  seen  at  Aguadilla.  where 
it  gushes  forth  in  undiminished  volume.  Pursuing  his 
voyage  to  the  north  coast  of  Hispaniola.  now^  known  as 
Santo  Domingo  and  Haiti,  he  found  that  the  men  left   in 


4  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST  INDIES 

the  fort  had  all  been  massacred,  and  retracing  his  course 
landed  and  founded  a  town,  which  he  called  Isabella.  This, 
the  first  settlement  b}^  white  men  in  America  of  which  we 
have  authentic  record  (save  only  that  of  the  Norsemen  in 
Greenland),  was  located  on  the  north  coast  of  Santo 
Domingo,  and  is  described  in  the  chapter  on  that  island. 
This  spot,  as  well  as  the  forts  erected  by  Columbus  in  the 
interior  of  the  island,  may  be  viewed  by  the  hardy  tourist 
who  does  not  mind  taking  a  departure  from  the  beaten 
tracks  of  travel. 

In  Santo  Domingo  (the  city)  we  have  the  oldest  settle- 
ment in  America  that  has  had  continued  existence  since 
its  foundation,  in  1496,  and  here  shall  find  many  relics  of 
the  long-distant  past,  including  the  remains  of  Columbus  him- 
self. Here  he  was  imprisoned,  and  from  its  harbour  sailed 
to  Spain  in  chains.  On  the  north  coast  of  Jamaica  we  can 
view  the  little  harbour  in  which  he  spent  a  year,  imprisoned 
in  his  stranded  ships,  in  1504. 

In  Porto  Rico  we  may  see  the  veritable  castle  built  by 
Ponce  de  Leon  before  he  set  sail  in  quest  of  the  Fountain  of 
Youth;  in  Haiti  another  castle  far  more  wonderful  as  the 
creation  of  a  black  and  barbarous  king,  that  of  Cristophe, 
in  the  hills  back  of  Cape  Haitien ;  in  St.  Thomas  is  yet 
another,  said  to  have  been  built  by  the  buccaneers,  who 
worried  the  Spaniards  in  the  seventeenth  century;  and  other 
castles,  such  as  the  Morros  of  San  Juan,  Porto  Rico, 
Santiago  de  Cuba  and  Havana,  are  memorials  of  the  times 
in  which  they  were  built. 

Succeeding  Columbus,  came  several  Spaniards  whose 
names  have  come  down  to  us  through  the  centuries,  such  as 
Diego,  his  son.  who  was  at  one  time  governor  of  Santo 
Domingo,  the  ruins  of  whose  palace  may  be  seen  in  the 
capital  of  that  island ;  Cortes,  who  sailed  from  Santo 
Domingo  for  Cuba  and  Mexico,  at  one  time  living  near 
Santiago  de  Cuba ;  Balboa,  discoverer  of  the  Pacific,  who 
was  taken  from  Santo  Domingo  in  a  barrel  to  the  scene 
of  his  exploits ;  Pizarro,  who  also  lived  a  while  in  Santo 
Domingo:  Las  Casas,  Apostle  to  the  Indians,  the  ruins  of 
whose  college  exist  in  the  city  of  Santo  Domingo;  and 
many  others. 


THE  WEST  INDIES  5 

Scenes  identified  with  the  famous  buccaneers  who  com- 
mitted such  havoc  with  the  Spanish  treasure-ships  in  the  sev- 
enteenth century  are  to  be  found  in  St.  Kitts,  Haiti,  and  espe- 
cially on  the  island  of  Tortuga,  where  they  made  their  head- 
quarters, and  in  Port  Royal,  Jamaica,  once  the  "wickedest 
city  in  the  world,"  which  was  destroyed  by  an  earthquake 
in  1692.  Jamaica  itself  became  an  English  island  through 
its  capture  by  Admiral  Penn,  the  father  of  Pennsylvania's 
founder.  All  the  West  Indian  islands  were  at  one  time  in 
possession  of  the  Spaniards,  but  many  were  lost  to  the 
French  and  British  and  Dutch  during  the  seventeenth  and 
eighteenth  centuries. 

The  first  Englishmen  of  note  to  sail  the  Caribbean  were 
perhaps  Sir  Francis  Drake  and  Sir  John  Hawkins,  who 
came  as  slavers  and  privateers,  both  of  whom  died  here 
and  were  buried  in  its  waters.  Other  English  names  asso- 
ciated with  the  sea  and  islands  are  Sir  Walter  Raleigh,  Lord 
Nelson,  Rodney,  Admirals  Benbow.  Vernon,  Abercrombie. 
Raleigh  made  his  famous  Orinoco  expedition  from  Trini- 
dad, as  narrated  in  the  description  of  that  island :  Nelson 
was  married  at  Nevis ;  Abercrombie  took  Trinidad  and 
made  an  attempt  upon  Porto  Rico,  1797 ;  Rodney  fought 
with  De  Grasse,  1782,  ofif  the  shores  of  Dominica,  and  broke 
the  power  of  France  in  the  West  Indies  by  this  victory. 

Thus,  episodically,  we  might  narrate  the  history  of  the 
West  Indies ;  but.  as  it  is  given  in  detail  in  the  chapters 
on  various  islands,  we  will  only  call  attention  to  the  fact 
that  it  is  interesting,  fascinating,  having  to  do  with  the 
beginnings  of  history  in  this  country,  and  with  the  deeds 
of  great  men  whose  lives  have  become  part  and  parcel  of 
that  history,  beginning  with  Columbus,  and  ending  with 
the  heroes  of  the  Spanish-American  War. 

Bermudas  and  West  Indian  Islands. 


When 

Area 

Popu- 

discovered 

sq.  miles 

lation 

Chief  port 

Bermudas  . 

1515 

20 

18,000 

Hamilton. 

Bahamas  . 

1492 

5.450 

66,400 

Nassau. 

Cuba    .... 

1492 

45.872 

[.575.000 

Havana. 

Jamaica  .  . 

1494 

4,000 

740,000 

Kingston. 

Haiti 

1492 

9,200 

1,240,000 

Port  au  Prince 

A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST  INDIES 


When 
discovered 

Area          Popu- 
sq.  miles       lation 

Chief  port 

Santo       Do- 

mingo .... 

1493 

20,500 

600,000 

Santo   Domingo. 

Porto  Rico.  . 

1493 

3.600 

1,000,000 

San  Juan. 

Danish  Isl'ds 

1493 

142 

33,000 

Charlotte    Amalia. 

Virgin   Isl'ds 

1493 

60 

5,000 

Roadtown,  Tor- 
tola. 

Dutch    Isl'ds 

1493 

436 

52,000 

Willemstad,  Cura- 
sao. 

French  Isl'ds 

1493 

1,100 

360,000 

jPointe  a  Pitre. 
(Fort  de  France. 

Leeward 

Islands  ..  .  i 

493 

-1502 

600 

125,000 

St.  John's,  An- 
tigua. 

Windward 

Islands  ..  .i 

498 

-1502 

510 

136,000 

St.  George's,  Gre- 
nada. 

Barbados... . 

1536 

166 

199,000 

Bridgetown. 

Trinidad.  . .  . 

1498 

2,000 

300,000 

Port  of  Spain. 

Tobago  

1498 

114 

19,000 

Scarborough. 

The  Virgin  Islands  comprise  Tortola,  Virgin  Gorda, 
Anegada,  etc. 

The  Danish  islands  are  St.  Thomas,  St.  John  and  Santa 
Cruz. 

The  Leeward  Islands  are  Antigua,  St.  Kitts,  Nevis,  Mont- 
serrat,  Anguilla,  Dominica,  etc.,  governed  from  St.  John's, 
Antigua,  where  the  governor-in-chief  resides.  All  are 
British,  as  are  Barbados  and  Trinidad. 

The  Windward  Islands  comprise  St.  Lucia,  St.  Vincent, 
Grenada  and  the  Grenadines. 

The  French  islands  are  Guadeloupe  and  Martinique,  St. 
Barts,  and  part  of  St.  Martin. 

The  Dutch  islands  are  Saba,  St.  Eustatius,  half  of  St. 
Martin,  in  the  south,  with  seat  of  government  at  Curagao  off 
the  coast  of  Venezuela ;  Oruba  and  Bonaire. 

The  Caymans  belong  to  Jamaica,  as  also  the  Turks  and 
Caicos,  so  far  as  governmental  jurisdiction  is  concerned. 

Distances  between  Principal  Ports.  In  order  to  convey 
a  correct  conception  of  what  a  trip  to  the  West  Indies 
and  Bermudas  would  cover,  taking  in  all  the  principal 
ports  and  islands,  the  following  table  has  been  compiled 
for   this    Guide   by    the    Hydrographic    Department    of    the 


THE  WEST  INDIES  7 

United    States,    at    Washington.      The    distances    are  ap- 
proximate and  in  nautical  miles. 

Miles 

New  York  to  the  Bermudas 700 

Halifax  to  the  Bermudas 800 

Bermudas  to  Nassau,   Bahamas.  • 810 

Nassau  to  Santiago  de  Cuba 550 

Santiago  to   Cienfuegos,   Cuba 330 

Santiago  to   Port  Antonio,  Jamaica 90 

Santiago  to  Kingston,  Jamaica 180 

Santiago  to  Montego  Bay,  Jamaica 155 

Santiago  to  Port  au  Prince.  Haiti 220 

Santiago  to   Mole    San   Nicolas,    Haiti 146 

Santiago   to   Cape   Haitien.    Haiti 215 

Cape  Haitien  to  Monte  Cristi,  Santo  Domingo 35 

Monte  Cristi  to  Puerto  Plata,  Santo  Domingo 65 

Puerto  Plata  to  Santa  Barbara,   Samana  Bay 115 

Samana  Bay  (Santa  Barbara)  to  Santo  Domingo  City  190 

Santo  Domingo  City  to  Ponce,   Porto  Rico 190 

Santo  Domingo  City  to  San  Juan,  Porto  Rico 200 

San  Juan  to  Charlotte  Amalia,  St.  Thomas 80 

Charlotte  Amalia  to   Basseterre.    St.    Kitts 140 

Basseterre,   St.  Kitts,  to  St.  John's,  Antigua 60 

Basseterre,    St.    Kitts,    to    Basseterre,    Guadeloupe....  100 

Basseterre.  Guadeloupe,  to  Pointe  a  Pitre.  Guadeloupe  30 

Pointe  a  Pitre.  Guadeloupe,  to  Roseau,   Dominica....  60 

Roseau,  Dominica,  to  Fort  de  France,  Martinique....  50 

Fort  de  France,  Martinique,  to  Castries,  St.  Lucia....  40 

Castries,  St.  Lucia,  to  Bridgetown,  Barbados 105 

Bridgetown,  Barbados,  to  Kingstown,   St.  Vincent....  100 

Kingstown.  St.  Vincent,  to  St.  George's,  Grenada....  80 

Bridgetown,  Barbados,  to  Port  of  Spain,  Trinidad....  215 

Port  of  Spain,  Trinidad,  to  Georgetown,   Demerara.  .  365 

Port  of  Spain,  Trinidad,  to  Ciudad  Bolivar,  Orinoco..  450 

Port  of  Spain.  Trinidad,  to  La  Guayra,  Venezuela.  ..  .  340 

La  Guayra,  Venezuela,  to  Puerto  Cabello,  Venezuela.  .  65 

Puerto  Cabello,  Venezuela,  to  Willemstad,  Curagao.  .  115 

Curagao  to  Maracaibo.  Venezuela 210 

Maracaibo,    Venezuela,   to   Cartagena,   Venezuela 440 

Cartagena  to  Colon,  Isthmus  of  Panama 275 

Colon    to    Greytown,    Nicaragua 250 

Greytown,  Nicaragua,  to  Kingston,  Jamaica 605 

Curagao  to   Ponce,    Porto  Rico 390 

Curagao  to  Santo  Domingo  City,  Santo  Domingo.  . . .  395 

Curagao  to  Kingston,  Jamaica 580 

Kingston  to   Montego  Bay,   Jamaica 155 

Montego  Bay,  Jamaica,  to  Cienfuegos.  Cuba 262 

Cienfuegos,  Cuba,  to  Havana  (by  rail  across  island).  .  195 

Havana,  Cuba,  to  Key  West,  Florida 90 


8  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST  INDIES 

Miles 

Key  West,  Florida,  to  Tampa,  Florida 230 

Tampa.  Florida,  to  New  York    (by  rail) 1,370 

Key  West,  Florida,  to  Miami   (direct) 130 

Aliami,  Florida,  to  New  York 990 

How  to  Prepare  for  the  West  Indies.  To  an  old  travel- 
ler, perhaps,  advice  under  this  head  may  seem  super- 
fluous; but  it  may  be  stated,  merely  as  a  reminder,  that 
while  thin  clothing  should  be  worn,  yet  it  will  be  ad- 
visable to  take  outer  garments  for  the  voyage  and  for  the 
cool  nights  which  are  sometimes  experienced.  White  flan- 
nel is  preferable,  as  material  for  garments,  to  linen  or  duck, 
and  thin  flannels  should  always  be  worn  next  the  skin. 
If  one  have  time,  complete  outfits  may  be  bought  more 
cheaply  in  such  places  as  Bermudas,  Jamaica,  St.  Thomas, 
Barbados,  and  Trinidad,  than  in  New  York;  flannels,  and 
Scotch  tweeds  especially,  being  sold  at  lower  prices  than 
in  the  United  States.  The  same  may  be  said  with  reference 
to  liquors  of  all  sorts,  with  scarcely  an  exception,  also  sun 
umbrellas  and  "sola"  hats  (the  East  Indian  helmet-shaped 
pith  hat,  which  is  the  best  head-covering  for  hot  countries 
in  the  world).  As  a  rule,  prices  range  much  higher  in  Cuba 
and  Porto  Rico  than  in  the  islands  farther  south.  French 
wines  and  manufactured  goods  are  lower  than  elsewhere  in 
Guadeloupe  and  IMartinique ;  all  British  products  in  the  Eng- 
lish islands;  gin,  liqueurs,  etc.,  in  Curasao  and  other  Dutch 
islands. 

A  steamer  trunk,  size  about  36  inches  by  20  by  16,  should 
be  taken  for  the  voyage,  with  a  rough-and-tumble  "carry- 
all" of  canvas  for  side-trips;  or,  in  fact,  any  old  valise,  suit- 
case or  portmanteau  that  will  endure  hard  knocks  without 
derangement.  If  a  stay  of  any  length  is  to  be  made,  a 
dress-suit  will  come  "handy"  for  dinners  and  receptions, 
especially  in  the  more  hospitable  English  islands.  Ladies 
are  warned  not  to  wear  open-work  gowns,  as  the  action  of 
the  sun  produces  a  tattooed  effect,  which  is  undesirable  when 
evening  dress  is  worn.  Of  course,  one  will  find  a  camera 
quite  desirable,  though  photographs  of  almost  everything 
"photographable"  may  be  purchased  everywhere.  The  films 
should  be  kept  in  tin  cases,  if  possible,  and  may  be  de- 
veloped en  route  or  at  home.     There  are  good  stock-houses 


THE  WEST   INDIES  9 

in  the  principal  islands,  and  an  itinerant  photographer's 
dark-room  is  nearly  always  available. 

Foods  and  Beverages.  Climatic  conditions  are  about  the 
same,  at  the  same  season,  throughout  the  archipelago.  The 
climate  is  in  the  main  a  healthful  one,  especially  for  the 
person  who  tarries  but  a  few  months,  and  no  precautions 
need  be  observed  that  would  not  be  taken  in  midsummer 
at  the  North.  One  should  be  careful,  however,  not  to  eat 
or  drink  to  excess,  and  to  confine  one's  self  to  the  beverages 
and  the  viands  of  the  country.  The  menus  of  the  through 
lines  of  steamers  are  so  redundantly  varied  and  tempting 
that  one  is  likely  to  over-eat  of  rich  foods;  and  life  on 
board  ship,  without  exercise,  is  not  conducive  to  good 
digestion.  On  shore  one  will  find  a  great  variety  of  tempt- 
ing beverages,  to  indulge  in  which  one  may  be  inclined  on 
account  of  constant  and  excessive  perspiration.  "By  the  same 
token,"  one  may  imbibe  more  freely,  with  less  serious  conse- 
quences, than  in  cooler  climes  ;  but  it  will  be  well  to  confine 
one's  self  to  the  milder  beverages,  such  as  lime-  and  orange- 
ade, and  the  range  of  rcfrescos,  or  drinks  which  refresh  with- 
out intoxicaliiig,  such  as  are  mentioned  in  the  article  on 
Havana. 

A  staple  beverage  of  the  French  and  English  islands  is  the 
native  rum,  usually  taken  in  the  form  of  punch,  or  "neat"  ; 
but  let  it  always  be  old  rum,  and  not  the  raw  product  which 
is  offered  at  the  ticndas  and  common  shops.  Cool  cocoa- 
water,  fresh  from  the  nut,  is  by  some  considered  a  delicious 
drink,  which  those  who  feel  they  need  an  "eye-opener"  in 
the  morning  strengthen  somewhat  by  introducing  gin  or 
what  they  like  best.  The  great  drink  of  the  "ice-houses" 
in  Barbados  and  other  islands  is  the  "swizzle,"  which  is 
a  sort  of  native  cocktail,  made  of  the  ordinary  liquors  mixed 
in  a  vessel  with  cracked  ice  and  sugar,  and  then  stirred  to 
a  froth  by  means  of  the  "swizzle-stick."  This  stick  is  the 
stem  of  a  native  plant  wath  radiating  twigs,  or  roots,  which, 
being  deprived  of  its  outer  bark,  is  revolved  rapidly  between 
the  palms  of  the  hands  in  the  liquid  aforementioned,  and, 
through  the  combined  action  of  the  motion  and  a  peculiar 
saponaceous  quality  of  the  cambium  layer  of  the  twigs, 
produces  a  delicious  froth. 


10  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST   INDIES 

The  true  West  Indian  opens  the  day  with  "coffee,"  which 
means  not  only  that  refreshing  beverage,  but  crackers  or 
buttered  toast  as  well,  and  this  serves  until  breakfast,  which 
is  served  between  ten  and  twelve  a.m.  Lunch  is  rarely 
eaten,  breakfast  being  taken  in  its  place ;  but  "tea"  is  some- 
times served  in  the  English  islands,  and  in  nearly  all,  espe- 
cially in  the  Spanish  islands,  a  noonday  siesta  is  taken, 
which  is  a  decided  "refresher,"  coming  at  the  time  when  all 
nature,  and  man  as  well,  is,  in  repose,  owing  to  the  heat. 
Dinner,  the  principal  meal  of  the  day,  takes  place  at  six  or 
seven,  preferably  the  latter  hour,  when  everybody  is  at  lei- 
sure and  can  give  unlimited  time  to  the  discussion,  not  alone 
of  viands  and  their  concomitants,  but  of  the  afifairs  of  the 
day. 

On  board  ship  the  regular  hours  are  strictly  observed,  with 
early  morning  coffee,  breakfast  from  eight  o'clock,  lunch  at 
midday,  dinner  at  six ;  but  the  West  India  custom  is  de- 
cidedly better. 

"Board  and  Lodging."  The  prospective  sojourners  are 
concerned,  of  course,  as  to  the  comforts  and  conveniences 
awaiting  them  in  the  West  Indies,  and  may  be  assured  that, 
with  the  excellent  steamship  service  to  fall  back  upon  at 
various  ports,  there  need  be  no  apprehension  on  this  score. 
In  the  Bermudas,  Bahamas  (at  Nassau),  Havana,  Santiago, 
Jamaica,  Barbados,  and  Trinidad  are  first-class  hotels,  with 
rates  from  $3  to  $5  per  day,  where  every  accommodation 
may  be  found.  Prices  range  about  the  same  as  in  the  United 
States  and  Europe  for  a  first-class  service,  but  "tips"  are 
lower — that  is,  the  payment  of  them  is  not  pressed  to  the 
extreme  that  it  is  in  other  countries.  The  usual  ten  per 
cent,  is  a  safe  rule  to  follow,  but  really  the  servants  are 
accustomed  to  much  less.  The  customary  discrimination, 
however,  will  be  found  to  exist  in  favour  of  the  native 
resident  and  against  the  casual  visitor.  Service  is  generally 
good,  for  wages  are  low,  and  the  servants  exceedingly  will- 
ing ;  not  only  willing,  but  courteous  and  kind. 

In  the  smaller  islands  and  towns,  as  a  rule,  second-rate 
hotels  are  met  with,  in  which  the  visitor  will  not  yearn  to 
reside  for  a  longer  space  than  is  absolutely  necessary;  but 
again,  as  in  Grenada  and  Dominica,  a  simple  hostelry  may 


OQ 

a. 


W^ 


^--^   .     '^^'^ 


THE  WEST  INDIES  ii 

be  found  so  delightsome  that  one  may  leave  it  with  regret. 
The  rates  in  these  "hotels"  are  about  $2  per  day,  or  $10  per 
week,  which  includes  lodging,  coffee,  breakfast  and  dinner. 
By  stopping  at  these  native  hostelries  one  may  secure  an 
acquaintance  with  the  people  and  their  ways,  and  also  an 
inkling  into  the  mysteries  of  native  cooking,  that  would 
not  otherwise  be  possible.  For  the  West  Indians  possess 
some  dishes  that  are  really  "fit  for  the  gods,"  if  any  are; 
not  to  speak  of  their  delicious  drinks,  some  of  which  have 
been  mentioned. 

You  will  want  to  eat  of  the  bread-fruit,  of  course,  which 
is  only  delicious  when  served  West  Indian  fashion;  and  you 
must,  positively  must,  taste  an  Antigua  or  Cat  Island  pine- 
apple if  you  desire  to  know  what  the  gods  themselves  pre- 
fer for  dessert.  Get  the  old  coloured  cook  to  roast  some 
cashew  nuts  for  you,  and  eat  them  salted,  like  almonds; 
when  in  Martinique  or  Jamaica  insist  upon  the  best 
"grafted"  mangos  being  brought  you  (for  there  is  as  much 
difference  between  them  and  the  common  kind  as  between 
an  apple  and  a  turnip).  Try  the  whole  range  of  tropical 
fruits,  but  try  them  in  the  morning ;  and  you  will  never 
again  boast  that  the  temperate  zone  has  better,  or  a  greater 
variety. 

Then  there  is  "pepper-pot,"  to  be  fond  of  which  is  an 
acquired  taste;  but  when  once  acquired  will  prompt  one  to 
an  especial  voyage  for  its  gratification.  Pepper-pot  begins 
to  be  good  in  the  southern  islands  of  the  Lesser  Antilles, 
Barbados  especially  being  noted  for  it,  and  British  Guiana 
producing  it  in  perfection.  The  basis  of  the  pepper-pot,  its 
preservative  component,  is  cassarcep,  the  concentrated 
juice  of  the  bitter  cassava,  which  in  its  crude  state  is  a 
violent  poison.  The  other  ingredients  are,  or  ought  to  be, 
a  mystery  to  the  partaker,  since  the  mere  enumeration  of 
them  is  not  always  appetizing,  consisting  of  chopped  pork 
and  fowl,  shallots,  cane-sugar,  salt,  cayenne  pepper,  the  concoc- 
tion being  simmered  and  boiled  until  thoroughly  homogene- 
ous. Into  the  pepper-pot,  after  it  has  been  prepared  (and 
it  should  always  be  contained  in  an  earthern  jar,  or  pipkin), 
are  thrown  shreds  and  bits  of  meat  from  the  table;  in  fact, 
"any  old  things"  in  that  line,  for  which  the  cassareep  acts 


12  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST  INDIES 

as  a  perpetual  preserver.  The  older  the  better,  it  is  said, 
and  some  families  are  the  envied  possessors  of  pepper-pots 
at  least  one  hundred  years  old.  What  their  constituents 
are  by  the  time  this  age  is  reached,  and  how  many  inquisi- 
tive cockroaches  have  found  untimely  burial-places  therein, 
one  shudders  to  contemplate ! 

In  the  Spanish  islands  insist  upon  being  served  with 
camarones,  or  crayfish,  from  the  mountain  streams ;  but 
they  are  better  the  farther  south  one  gets.  Then  there  are 
the  "tri-ti-ri,"  or  miniature  white-bait,  thousands  of  which 
go  to  furnish  a  meal,  but  are  delicious  served  with  a  dash 
of  "chili"  and  lime-juice.  In  the  islands  of  Dominica  and 
St.  Kitts  ask  for  the  crapaud,  even  if  you  have  a  preju- 
dice against  eating  frog-meat,  which  will  be  served  to  you 
as  "mountain  chicken,"  perhaps ;  and  in  any  event  the  flesh 
is  excellent.  So  is  that  of  the  native  iguana,  a  species  of 
lizard,  which  you  will  enjoy  if  you  have  not  previously  seen 
the  reptile  from  which  it  was  taken — preferably  from  the 
tail.  There  is  still  another  "delicacy"  in  store  for  the 
gourmet,  if  peradventure  he  desires  to  investigate  further: 
the  broiled  "gru-gru  worms,"  or  larvae  from  the  na- 
tive palm,  which  are  said  to  be  delicious.  All  other  forms 
of  food  mentioned  above,  the  writer  has  partaken  of  and 
enjoyed;  but  the  reader  must  take  the  palm-larvae  on  trust, 
for  they  are  not  recommended  from  personal  acquaintance. 
West  Indian  shell-fish  are  not  the  equals  of  their  kind  in 
the  North,  but  one  will  desire,  of  course,  to  try  the  oysters 
that  grow  on  the  mangroves  in  Trinidad  and  Jamaica,  and 
will  find  them  rather  "coppery."  Other  things  toothsome 
and  rare  are  to  be  found  in  the  islands,  but  too  numerous 
for  particular  mention ;  and  our  advice  to  the  reader  is, 
get  acquainted  with  the  cooks  ! 

Passports  and  Customs.  While  it  is  always  best  for  the 
traveller  to  provide  himself  with  a  general  passport  every 
few  years,  still  it  is  only  on  very  rare  occasions  that  he  will 
be  compelled  to  show  it.  Passports  may  be  obtained  by  any 
citizen  of  the  United  States  by  addressing  the  Department 
of  State,  Passport  Bureau,  Washington,  D.  C,  enclosing  cur- 
rency or  postal  money-order  for  one  dollar  with  the  applica- 
tion, which  must  be  in  the  form  of  an  affidavit,  blanks  for 


THE  WEST   INDIES  13 

which  are  furnished  by  the  Department,  or  by  consuls 
abroad. 

No  passport  is  required  in  Cuba  or  Porto  Rico,  nor  in  the 
French,  British,  Danish,  or  Dutch  islands ;  but  one  should 
be  provided  for  visiting  Haiti  and  Santo  Domingo,  also  for 
Venezuela,  and  vised  by  their  respective  consuls,  in  New 
York,  before  sailing.  This,  however,  is  in  case  one  intends 
to  make  a  stay  in  either  island,  or  country.  This  informa- 
tion was  kindly  furnished  by  the  Chief  of  the  Passport  Bu- 
reau, Department  of  State,  Washington,  D.   C. 

Very  little  trouble  is  experienced  with  customs  officials  in 
the  West  Indies,  most  of  them  being  courteous,  even  atten- 
tive, and  seemingly  desirous  of  assisting  the  traveller,  rather 
than  detaining  either  him  or  his  luggage.  Superfluous  fire- 
arms, ammunition,  spirits,  etc.,  are  forbidden  entry  in  almost 
every  civilized  country ;  and  on  returning,  either  to  the 
United  States  or  to  a  British  port,  one's  personal  luggage  is 
generally  passed  free  of  duty,  allowing  an  opened  box  of 
cigars,  100  cigarettes,  etc..  with  trinkets  bought  as  souvenirs; 
but  not  valuables  purchased  for  sale  again,  or  to  any  great 
extent  as  gifts  to  friends. 

Money  in  Use.  English  and  American  gold  and  bank- 
notes pass  current  anywhere;  but  a  letter  of  credit  (from  any 
reputable  bankers)  is  the  best  form  in  which  to  take  funds 
for  an  extended  trip. 


STEAMSHIP  ROUTES,  BERMUDAS  AND 
WEST  INDIES 

New  York-Bermudas.  The  Quebec  Steamship  Company: 
New  York,  Bermudas  and  West  Indies  Line. 

Sailings  every  ten  days  throughout  the  year,  in  winter 
every  five  or  six  days;  steamers  3,100  to  5,500  tons;  length 
of  voyage,  fortj'-two  to  forty-eight  hours.  Only  line  making 
regular  and  continuous  trips  to  Bermudas  from  the  United 
States. 

The  same  line  runs  between  New  York  and  the  Lesser 
Antilles,  comprising  St.  Thomas,  Santa  Cruz,  St.  Kitts,  An- 
tigua, Montserrat,  Guadeloupe,  Dominica,  Martinique, 
St.   Lucia,   St.  Vincent,  Barbados ;  thence  to  Demerara. 

Sailings  every  ten  days ;  time  to  nearest  port  about  six  days, 
and  between  ports  among  the  islands  a  night  or  half  a  day. 
Round  trip,  Demerara  and  back,  about  thirty  days,  with 
privilege  of  stop-over  at  various  islands. 

New  York-Barbados  direct,  returning  through  the  islands ; 
sailings  every  three  weeks;  cruise  lasting  about  seventeen 
days. 

Specimen  itinerary:  Leave  New  York  ist  of  month;  arrive 
Barbados  9th;  leave  nth;  arrive  Fort  de  France,  IMartinique, 
nth,  A.M.;  Dominica,  passing  ruins  of  St.  Pierre,  12th,  p.m.; 
St.  Kitts,  13th ;  Santa  Cruz,  14th ;  St.  Thomas,  14th ;  New 
York,  19th. 

Special  crtiises  during  winter  season,  taking  in  all  impor- 
tant islands,  at  an  average- rate  of  about  $5  per  day. 

St.  John,  N.  B.,  Halifax,  N.  S.-Bermudas  and  the 
West  Indies.  The  Pickford  and  Black  Steamship  Com- 
pany. Every  twelve  days  to  Bermudas  and  Lesser  Antilles ; 
20th  of  every  month  for  Bermudas,  Turks  Island,  Santiago 
de  Cuba  and  Jamaica ;  5th  of  every  month  for  Santiago  de 
Cuba  and  Kingston,  Jamaica. 

Specimen  tour:  Leave  St.  John  ist  of  month;  Halifax,  2d; 
Bermudas,  loth  to  14th  (St.  Kitts,  i8th ;  Antigua  and  Mont- 
serrat,   19th)  ;  Dominica,   i8th ;    St.  Lucia  and   St.   Vincent, 


STEAMSHIP   ROUTES  15 

19th;  Barbados,  20th;  Trinidad.  21st;  Demerara,  23d.  Re- 
turn :  Leave  Demerara,  26th ;  Trinidad,  29th ;  Barbados, 
1st;  St.  Vincent  and  St.  Lucia,  2d;  Dominica,  3d;  Mont- 
serrat,  4th ;  Antigua,  stli :  St.  Kitts,  7th ;  Bermudas,  12th ; 
Halifax  and  St.  John,  15th. 

Distances:  Halifax-Bermudas,  800  miles;  St.  Kitts,  925; 
Antigua,  60;  Dominica,  123;  Barbados,  170;  Trinidad,  210; 
Demerara,  360     Total,  2,648. 

Bristol,  England,  and  Bermudas.  Steamers  of  the  Im- 
perial Line,  monthly,  on  voyage  to  and  from  Jamaica. 

New  York-Bahamas  and  Cuban  Ports.  New  York  and 
Cuba   Mail   Steamship   Company    (Ward   Line). 

Semi-weekly  sailings,  New  York-Havana,  each  way. 

Weekly  sailings,  New  York-Guantanamo,  Santiago,  Man- 
zanillo  and  Cienfuegos. 

Fortnightly  sailings.  New  York  and  Nassau,  N.  P., 
Bahamas.     Weekly  service  in  winter. 

Distances:  New  York  to  Nassau,  940  miles;  Havana,  1,190; 
Guantanamo,  1,286;  Santiago  de  Cuba,  1.327;  Manzanillo, 
1,490;  Cienfuegos,   1,640  miles. 

New  York-Havana,  Cuba.  Florida  East  Coast  Railway: 
this  North-and-South  System  extends  entire  length  of 
Florida,  the  coral  keys  off  south  coast  of  which  it  has  made 
stepping-stones  to  Key  West,  within  ninety  miles  of  Havana. 

While  Miami  has  for  several  years  been  the  southern  ter- 
minus of  the  East  Coast  System,  an  extension  has  been 
projected  which  far  eclipses  even  the  wonderful  work  accom- 
plished in  opening  East  Florida's  coast  to  winter  tourists. 
This  extension  covers  the  distance  between  Miami  and  Key 
West,  165  miles,  following  the  line  of  Keys,  w^hich  are 
connected  by  immense  viaducts,  the  water  channels  being 
so  numerous  that  only  sixty-five  miles  of  the  construction  is 
on  natural  foundations. 

The  longest  viaduct  is  that  connecting  Long  Key  and  Conch 
Key.  10.500  feet ;  other  extensive  ones  being  Moser  Key 
Channel,  7,800  feet ;  Knights,  7,300  feet ;  and  Bahia  Honda, 
4.950  feet. 

Time:  New  York-Jacksonville,  Florida,  twenty-five  hours; 
Jacksonville-Miami,  twelve  hours. 

At  Havana  railroads  centre  which  cover  almost  all  points 


i6  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST  INDIES 

in  Cuba;  steamers  may  be  taken  for  Mexico,  Spain,  Ger- 
many, England,  France,  and  connections  made  for  Spanish 
Main  and  Isthmus  of  Panama,  as  well  as  direct  lines  for 
New  York,  New  Orleans,  Tampa,  etc. 

PENINSULAR    AND    OCCIDENTAL    STEAMSHIP    COMPANY 


Schedule  of  Knights  Key-Key  West  Line 

Leave  Knights  Key  daily  except  Saturday  at 4.00  P.M. 

Arrive  Key  West  daily  except  Saturday  at 8.00  P.M. 

Leave  Key  West  daily  except  Sunday  at 5.00  A.M. 

Arrive  Knights  Key  daily  except  Sunday  at 9.00  A.M. 

Schedule  of  Knights  Key-Havana  Line 

Leave  Knights  Key.  .Sundays  Tuesdays  Thursdays,  ,8.00  P.M. 

Arrive  Havana Mondays  Wednesdays      Fridays 6.00  A.M. 

Leave   Havana Mondays  Wednesdays      Fridays 5.00  P.M. 

Arrive  Knights  Key.. Tuesdays  Thursdays  Saturdays  ..5.00  A.M. 


Port  Tampa-Havana  Line  via  Key  West. 

Leave  Port  Tampa  Sundays.  Tuesdays,  Thursdays,  11.40  p.m. 
Arrive  Key  West  Mondays.  Wednesdays,  Fridays,  6.30  p.m. 
Leave  Key  West  Mondays,  Wednesdays,  Fridays.  8.30  p.m. 
Arrive  Havana  Tuesdays,  Thursdays,  Saturdays,  6.30  a.m. 
Leave  Havana  Tuesdays.   Thursdays,   Saturdays,   12  noon. 
Arrive  Key  West  Tuesdays,  Thursdays.  Saturdays,  8.30  p.m. 
Leave  Key  West  Tuesdays,  Thursdays,  Saturdays,  10.30  p.m. 
Arrive  Port  Tampa  Wednesdays,  Fridays,  Sundays,  6.30  p.m. 

New  York-Cuba,  North  Coast.  Munson  Line.  Leave 
New  York  every  other  Wednesday  for  Antilla  (Nipe  Bay) 
direct ;  Nuevitas,  Gibara,  Vita,  Puerto  Padre.  Return : 
Nuevitas,  Antilla,  New  York.  Round  trip  consumes  about 
twenty  days. 

New  York  to  Nuevitas  direct ;  Antilla.  Gibara,  Vita,  Puerto 
Padre.  Return :  Nuevitas,  Nipe  Bay,  New  York.  About 
three  weeks'  trip. 

New  Orleans-Havana.  Southern  Pacific,  Atlantic  Steam- 
ship  Lines. 

Sailings  about  every  five  days  during  winter  season. 

New    York-New    Orleans-Havana.   Also  in  effect  a  round 


STEAMSHIP  ROUTES  17 

trip:  New  York-New  Orleans  via  Southern  Pacific  steam- 
ships ;  return,  via  Havana,  by  Ward  Line. 

New  York-Porto  Rico.     Distance,   1,380  miles. 

The  New  York  and  Porto  Rico  Line,  weekly  sailings,  leav- 
ing New  York  on  Saturdays,  reaching  San  Juan  in  four  to 
five  days. 

Time  to  Ponce  and  Mayagucz  about  six  days. 

Special  cruises  to  and  around  Porto  Rico,  living  on  board 
ship. 

Porto  Rico  and  Mezv  Orleans:  Distance,  1,460  miles. 

New  York  and  Porto  Rico  Line,  sailings  every  ten  days. 

Rates  same  as  to  and  from  New  York.  New  Orleans  ex- 
cursion tickets  valid  over  New  York  service  returning. 

New  York-Porto  Rico-Curagao- Venezuela.  Red  D  Line 
to  and  from  Venezuela  via   Porto  Rico. 

Bi-weekly  sailings  to  Porto  Rico.  Time,  four  to  five  days. 
Schedule  given  under  ''Curacao." 

New  York  and  Europe  to  the  West  Indies.  The  Ham- 
burg-American Line,  West  Indian  special,  the  Atlas  Ser- 
vice, with  frequent  sailings  for  Jamaica,  Haiti,  St. 
Thomas,  Cuba,  Colon,  and  Spanish  Main. 

New  York-Jamaica  every  Saturday ;  returning,  Kingston- 
New  York,  every  Wednesday ;  extra  service  in  winter 
season ;  also  special  excursions  to  and  through  Caribbean, 
all  principal  islands,  in  winter. 

Specimen  route:  New  York-Jamaica,  etc.:  LeaveNew York, 
say,  4th  of  month;  arrive  Fortune  Island,  Bahamas,  8th; 
Kingston,  Jamaica,  loth ;  Savanilla,  12th:  Cartagena,  15th; 
Port  Limon,  17th;  Kingston,  Jamaica,  22d  ;  Fortune  Island, 
23d;   New  York,  28th. 

New   York-Haiti,    weekly    sailings,    every    Wednesday. 

Specimen  route:  Leave  New  York,  6th;  arrive  Inagua, 
Bahamas,  nth;  Cape  Haitien,  13th;  Port  de  Paix,  14th;  Port 
au  Prince,  15th;  St.  jMarc,  i6th ;  Aux  Cayes,  i8th ;  Jacmel, 
19th;  Santa  Marta  (Colombia),  22d ;  Port  au  Prince,  24th; 
Inagua,  24th ;  New  York,  29th. 

New  York-Panama  (Colon).  Specimen  route:  Leave  1st  of 
month ;.  arrive  Kingston,  Jamaica,  6th;  Colon,  8th;  leave 
Colon,   19th;   Kingston,  21st;   arrive  New   York,   26th. 

Hamburg-Havana,  Cuba.    Leave  Hamburg  14th  (via  Havre, 


i8  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST   INDIES 

Santander,  Corunna),  arriving  Havana  in  seventeen  days. 
Return  :  Leave  Havana  17th  every  month. 

Hamburg-St.  Thomas-Havana.  Leave  Hamburg  28th  and 
29th  every  month,  arriving  St.  Thomas  loth  or  nth  and 
Havana  15th  or  i6th.  Return:  Leave  Havana  ist  or  2d, 
St.  Thomas  5th  or  6th,  etc. 

Coahng  station  maintained  at  St.  Thomas  (Charlotte 
Amalia),  from  which  port  a  subsidiary  steamer  makes  a 
monthly  trip  as  far  as  Santiago  de  Cuba  and  return,  touch- 
ing at  southern  ports  of  Santo  Domingo,  Porto  Rico,  Haiti, 
and  Jamaica. 

New  York-Santo  Domingo.  The  Clyde  Line,  with  steamers 
to  Santo  Domingo,  touching  at  Turks  Island.  Bahamas,  makes 
fortnightly  trips  between  New  York  and  Santo  Domingo 
City. 

New  York,  U.  S.  A.,  and  Southampton,  England,  via 
West  Indies.  Royal  ^Nlail  Steam  Packet  Company,  fort- 
nightly sailings  alternate  Wednesdays  from  Southampton 
and  Saturdays  from  New  York;  on  western  voyage  calling 
at  Cherbourg,  France;  Vigo,  Spain;  and  Azores  Islands. 
In  West  Indies :  Barbados,  Trinidad ;  La  Guayra,  Venezuela ; 
Puerto  Colombia,  Cartagena,  Colon,  Jamaica,  thence  direct 
to  New  York. 

Voyage  east,  reverse:  New  York-Jamaica  (four  days), 
Colon-Barbados,   etc. 

Specimen  Route,   New   York-Southampton: 

Jamaica   4  days 

Limon    7 

Colon   8 

Cartagena   1 1 

Puerto  Colombia 12 

La  Guayra 14 

Trinidad  15 

Barbados    16 

Cherbourg    29 

Southampton   30 

At  Barbados  passengers  and  mail  transshipped  to  Inter- 
colonial Mail  Steamers  for  Windward  and  Leeward  Islands 
and  as  far  as  St.  Thomas. 

The  Transatlantic  steamers  are  the  largest  in  this  service; 
the  Intercolonial  staunch  and  of  2,000  tons;  and  besides  these 


STEAMSHIP  ROUTES  IQ 

are  local  steamers  plying  around  Dominica.  Jamaica, 
St.  Lucia,  Trinidad.  Grenada,  and  Tobago;  between  Bar- 
bados, St.  Lucia,  Martinique,  Dominica;  between  Trinidad 
and   Tobago.     Fares   furnished  on  application. 

In  addition  to  its  regular  service  the  company  arranges 
special  winter  and  summer  tours,  New  York-Jamaica ; 
also  special  winter  cruises,  twelve  to  forty  days,  all  chief 
islands,  etc.  Direct  line,  English,  to  Cuba  and  Mexico,  call- 
ing at  Spanish  ports. 

Boston-Philadelphia-Baltimore-New  York-Jamaica.  The 
United  ^Fruit  Company,  Long  Wharf,  Boston.  Weekly- 
sailings  from  Boston,  Philadelphia  and  Baltimore, 
for  Port  Antonio  and  Kingston,  Jamaica.  Distance 
from  Boston,  1,590  miles;  time,  four  and  one-half  days; 
from  Philadelphia,  1,400  miles;  time,  four  days.  Fort- 
nightly sailings  from  New  York. 

Fine  f^eet  of  thirty  steamers,  specially  built  and  equipped 
for  tropical  voyaging,  furnished  with  every  requisite  for 
comfort  of  tourists. 

(Further  details  in   chapter  on  Jamaica.) 

Bristol,  England-Jamaica.  The  Imperial  Direct  West 
India  Mail  Service  Company,  fortnightly  sailings,  each  way, 
Avonmouth  (Bristol) -Turks  Island-Jamaica,  calling  at  Ber- 
mudas.    Length  of  voyage,  ten  to  twelve  days. 

The  Imperial  transatlantic  fleet,  averaging  5,000  to  7,000 
tons.  Island  steamer  Delta,  auxiliary  boat  belonging  to 
this  line,  makes  trip  around  Jamaica  every  week;  first- 
class  accommodations. 

New  York  and  Netherlands  via  West  Indies.  Royal 
Dutch  West  Indian  IMail  Line,  fortnightly  sailings,  from 
New  York  and  Amsterdam.  New  York  to  Port  au  Prince, 
1,360  miles;  Aux  Cayes,  223  miles;  Jacmel,  70  miles; 
Curagao,  426  miles;  Puerto  Cabello.  117  miles; 'La  Guayra, 
70  miles;  Guanta,  148  miles;  Cumana,  40  miles;  Carupano, 
123  miles;  Trinidad,  no  miles;  Demerara,  360  miles;  Para- 
maribo, 180  miles;  thence  to  Holland  direct,  and  z'ice  versa. 

New  York-Grenada-Trinidad.  The  Trinidad  Line  of 
steamers,  sailing  every  ten  days  for  Grenada  and  Trinidad, 
connecting  at  latter  island  for  Tobago,  Ciudad  Bolivar 
(Orinoco),  and  Venezuelan  ports. 


20  A  GUIDE  TO   THE  WEST   INDIES 

Glasgow  and  Londoi-British  Guiana  and  West  Indies. 

The  Direct  Line,  sailing  regularly  in  the  season. 

Route  includes  Barbados,  Trinidad,  Tobago,  St.  Vincent, 
St.   Lucia,   St.   Kitts,  Dominica,   etc. 

Liverpool-West  Indies.  The  Harrison  Line  (cargo 
steamers),  Liverpool  to  Barbados,  Trinidad,  and  Belize, 
British  Honduras. 

The  Leyland  Line,  sailing  regularly  to  Barbados,  Trinidad, 
La  Guayra,  Venezuela,  Curagao,  Cartagena,  Colon,  and 
Kingston,  Jamaica. 

Montreal-Halifax-Nassau-Havana.  The  Canadian  Line, 
monthly  sailings. 

New  York-Barbados  and  South  American  ports.  The 
Booth  Steamship  Company,  monthly  sailings.  All  passen- 
ger steamers  call  at  Barbados — direct  voyage  to  and  from 
New  York — and  a  round-trip  ticket  is  issued,  which  includes 
4  days  at  the  Marine  Hotel,  all  expenses  paid. 

New  York-Lesser  Antilles  and  Demerara.  The  Deme- 
rara  Line,  irregular  sailings. 

New  York  and  Brazilian  ports,  calling  at  Barbados  on 
return  voyage.  The  Lamport  and  Holt  Line,  monthly 
sailings. 

New  York-Havana.  Compania  Trasatlantica,  monthly 
sailings. 

Bookings  for  all  lines  can  be  made  with  the  Raymond  and 
Whitcomb  Company,  25  Union  Square,  New  York. 


THE  BERMUDAS 

The  wandering  mariner  whose  eye  explores 
The  weakhiest  isles,  the  most  enchanting  shores, 
Views  not  a  realm  so  beautiful  and  fair, 
Nor  breathes  the  spirit  of  a  purer  air, 
By  the  gay  borders  of  Bermuda's  Isles 
Where   spring   with   everlasting  verdure   smiles. 

Situation  and  Scenery.  Seven  hundred  miles  southeast 
of  New  York,  but  only  600  east  of  Charleston,  lies  the 
group,  or  rather  cluster,  of  isles  and  islets  known  as  the 
Bermudas.  Two  days  of  steaming  takes  one  there ;  and  yet 
to  many  they  are  as  little  known  as  in  the  time  of  Shakespeare, 
who  took  the  motif  of  his  play,  The  Tempest,  from  the 
name  the  Spaniards  gave  them :  Los  Diahlos,  or  the  "Isles 
of  Devils."  Isles  of  the  Blest  would  be  a  better  name, 
for  their  allurements  are  many,  and  only  the  approaches  to 
them  are  forbidding,  fended  as  they  are  by  dangerous  reefs, 
whose  jagged  jaws  wrought  disaster  to  the  first  ships  that 
ventured  near  to  those  "still-vexed  Bermoothes." 
Their  countless  charms  will  bear  a  close  inspection,  so  let 
us  approach  (perforce,  with  a  good  pilot  at  the  helm)  and 
view  them  nearly.  The  nearer  the  better,  for  the  more 
narrowly  they  are  examined  the  more  charming  they  appear. 
There  are  but  half  a  dozen  of  good  size ;  but  in  the  aggre- 
gate, big  and  little — islets,  cays,  and  rocks — they  number 
more  than  300,  the  total  area  of  which  is  only  20  square 
miles.  This  cluster  of  coral  islands  forms  a  modified  atoll, 
supported  by  a  submarine  mountain,  based  on  the  ocean- 
bed  three  miles  below,  and  with  its  peaks  protruding  here 
and  there  (like  the  isolated  "North  Rock,"  eight  miles  off 
shore),  in  outline  like  a  fish-hook  or  a  shepherd's  crook.  It 
lies  invitingly  open  toward  the  northwest  (New  York), 
from  which  direction  the  steamers  come,  and  presents  an 
almost  unbroken  front  to  the  vast  expanse  of  ocean  south, 
or  West  Indies-ward.  The  harbour  of  St.  George's  opens 
eastward,  but  landings  are  usually  made  at  Hamilton,  ac- 
cess to  which  is  only  obtained  by  groping  along  the  west 


22  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST   INDIES 

coast  to  Grassy  Bay  and  the  Great  Sound,  which  are  land- 
locked— at  least  by  reefs,  which  keep  out  the  ocean  rollers — 
and  admit  one  at  once  to  the  heart  of  the  Bermudas. 

To  gain  an  intelligent  conception  of  the  Bermudas'  topog- 
raphy, one  should,  as  soon  as  possible,  climb  the  various 
heights,  such  as  Sears  Hill,  260  feet  above  sea-level ; 
Wreck  Hill ;  the  heights  above  St.  George's ;  Prospect  Hill, 
and  especially  the  lighthouse  on  Gibbs  Hill,  the  lantern  of 
which  is  360  feet  above  sea  level.  Nearly  or  quite  100  miles 
of  perfect  roads  give  access  to  every  point  of  interest  in  the 
islands,  though  the  distance  between  extreme  points,  as 
St.  George's  and  Ireland  Island,  is  scarce  25  miles,  and  the 
width  varies  from  almost  nothing  to  three  miles. 

Climate.  While  configuration  and  colour  are  the  elements 
that  contribute  chiefly  to  Bermuda's  superficial  charms — 
those  apparent  at  first  glance — her  real  and  lasting  attrac- 
tion is  climatic.  Adapting  good  old  Walton's  remark  anent 
the  strawberry:  "Doubtless  God  might  have  made  a  better 
climate,  but  doubtless  God  never  did !"  That  is,  with  cer- 
tain reservations.  It  is  not  a  climate  well  adapted  to  those 
afflicted  with  tuberculosis ;  it  becomes  "terribly  trying"  when 
experienced  through  all  the  months  in  the  year ;  but  it 
affords  a  delicious  change  from  that  of  regions  but  little 
more  than  10°  to  the  north  and  east  of  the  Bermudas. 

Snuggled  as  they  are  within  a  curve  of  the  Gulf  Stream, 
all  wintry  blasts  are  so  tempered  that  the  temperature  rarely 
descends  below  60°  Fahrenheit,  nor  in  summer  does  it  rise 
much  above  80.  Indeed,  the  Bermudians  aver  that  they  pos- 
sess a  more  agreeable  summer  climate  than  the  United 
States  and  Canada  can  boast;  more  equable  than  that  of 
the  northern  regions,  and  more  reliable,  though  always 
warm.  A  sea-voyage,  as  we  know,  is  always  agreeable,  and 
the  Bermudas  are  ever  at  sea.  They  have  squalls  and  rains, 
mists  and  fogs,  but  never  frosts  or  snow.  The  relative 
humidity  is  great,  the  dampness  is  that  of  the  sea-coast 
everywhere;  but  the  climate  is  abnormally  healthful,  as 
the  numerous  aged  people  cheerfully  testify.  A  long  resi- 
dence here  may  be  debilitating,  but  a  temporary  sojourn 
cannot  be  otherwise  than  beneficial  to  the  overworked  and 
nervously  prostrated.     All  in  all,  a  more  salubrious  climate 


THE  BERMUDAS  23 

it  would  be  difficult  to  find  in  a  region,  whether  insular  or 
continental,  so  accessible  as  this.  It  is  at  its  best  from 
November  to  May,  inclusive,  though  tolerable  up  to  July, 
and  at  its  worst  from  the  last-named  month  to  October, 
when  autumn  breezes  cool  the  atmosphere  for  the  especial 
benefit  of  the  winter  tourists. 

Bermuda's  colour-scheme  appears,  at  the  first  glance  one 
gets  into  the  Great  Sound,  white  and  green — pure  white, 
dazzling  white ;  sombre  greens  of  the  cedars,  golden  greens 
of  the  palms  and  bananas.  "The  green  hills  of  many  islets," 
wrote  an  artist  many  years  ago,  "rise  above  the  brilliant 
opalescent  tints  of  its  lucid  waves  above  the  snowy  coral 
reefs.  .  .  .  The  stranger  floating  here,  above  the  white 
shoals,  will  be  wonder-struck  by  the  marvellous  clearness 
of  the  sea-water  and  the  strange  efifects.  The  sunlight 
reaches  many  fathoms  deep  into  this  vast  submarine  plain. 
displaying  every  object  clearly  to  the  gaze,  as  one  glides 
swiftly  over  it.  And  then  the  colour :  that  beautiful  bewil- 
dering green — just  the  shade  that  one  catches  in  the  gleam 
of  an  opal,  or  the  tint  of  malachite.  Painters  have  sought 
to  rival  it.  but  in  vain." 

Colour  and  contour,  then,  appeal  to  one  from  the  cold  and 
colourless  North,  especially  in  the  winter,  when,  with  the 
Northern  temperature  at  zero  or  below,  here  it  is  away  up 
into  the  seventies.  The  contours,  too,  are  infinite  in  their 
variety:  of  hills  with  wavy  sky-lines,  islets  with  curving 
shores,  reefs  with  dentated  ridges  washed  by  foam-crested 
waves.  All  is  colour  and  life  and  animation ;  but,  if  any- 
thing, there  is  too  much  and  too  dazzling  a  glare  of  white 
in  the  composition.  Reefs  and  huts  and  houses,  all  are 
white;  so,  too,  are  the  roads,  the  rocks — in  fact,  almost 
everything  except  the  waters  and  the  vegetation.  Blue  glasses 
are  a  necessity  to  protect  the  eyes  from  this  incessant  and 
insistent  glare,  and  many  a  headache  may  be  avoided  by 
donning  them  upon  arrival  in  the  islands.  One  may  have 
too  much  of  a  good  thing,  and  this  is  one  of  the  good  things 
that  is  rather  overdone  in  the  Bermudas. 

Preparations  for  the  trip  to  Bermuda  should  be  the  same 
as  for  Florida,  the  climatic  conditions  being  similar,  and 
also  the  social  life  at  the  hotels.    Take  summer  clothing,  with 


24  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST   INDIES 

a  wrap  or  overcoat  for  the  voj'age  and  blustering  weather, 
and,  if  a  protracted  stay  is  meditated,  the  conventional 
dress  for  social  functions.  At  both  Government  House  and 
Admiralty  House,  in  the  winter  season,  public  receptions  take 
place,  and,  if  furnished  with  proper  credentials,  the  visitor 
will  find  the  high-class  English  society  of  the  islands  most 
enjoyable.  The  range  of  attractions  is  not  great,  consisting 
mainly  of  outdoor  enjoyments;  but  society  is  not  exacting, 
and  the  benefits  to  be  derived  from  the  comparative  isolation, 
the  opportunities  for  rest,  and  the  soothing  atmosphere,  are 
inestimable.  * 

Yachting,  riding,  driving,  cycling,  walking,  picnicking,  and 
excursions  to  various  points,  as  occasion  may  suggest,  are  the 
various  forms  of  recreation  in  vogue ;  but  those  not  inured 
to  a  semi-tropical  climate  should  take  their  exercise  in  the 
cool  hours  of  morning  or  evening,  and  not  exert  themselves 
unduly  at  first.  Nearly  the  entire  group  of  islands  is  open 
to  the  inspection  of  visitors,  except  the  fortifications ;  but 
permission  should  be  obtained  (which  is  freely  granted)  for 
entering  private  grounds,  planted  fields,  and  the  gardens  at 
]\Iount  Langdon  and  Clarence  Hill.  Sketches  and  photo- 
graphic views  may  be  taken  at  pleasure,  always  excepting 
details  of  fortifications,  which  are  prohibited  by  the  govern- 
ment. Scenes  well  worth  sketching  and  photographing  may 
be  found  everywhere,  which  will  suggest  themselves  at  sight, 
and  a  camera  should  not  be  omitted  from  one's  outfit  for 
the  voyage.  Seascapes,  rather  than  landscapes,  will  be  found 
to  claim  attention ;  but  the  coral  caves,  the  semi-tropical 
vegetation,  the  parks  and  gardens  are  enticing. 

Distances  of  Outer  Reefs,  Bermuda. 

Miles 

From  St.  George's  Heights,  east   3^ 

From  St.  George's  Heights,  northeast   5 

From  St.  George's  Heights,  north    7 

From  St.  George's  Heights,  northwest    8^ 

From  Gibbs  Hill,  north 15 

From  Wreck  Hill,  north  by  east I2j^ 

From  Gibbs  Hill,  west 10 

From  Wreck  Hill,  northwest 6 

From  Wreck  Hill,  west    7 

From  Wreck  Hill,  south    6 


THE  BERMUDAS  25 

Hamilton  the  Capital.  The  town  of  Hamilton  contains 
about  2,300  inhabitants  (the  island  17,500),  and  is  the  metrop- 
olis of  the  group.  It  occupies  a  landlocked  harbour  on  the 
southerly  slope  of  elevated  land,  hence  is  well  drained,  and 
salubrious  as  to  its  situation,  being  also  protected  from  cold 
winds  and  storms.  It  is  a  quaint  little  place,  with  streets  laid 
out  at  right  angles,  and  as  full  of  hotels,  boarding-houses 
and  shops  "as  an  egg  is  full  of  meat."  As  all  the  ocean 
steamers  make  this  town  their  point  of  arrival  and  departure,  it 
will  be  taken  as  such  by  the  tourist,  for,  in  addition,  it  is 
most  centrally  located,  and  every  portion  of  the  islands  may 
be  reached  from  it  by  excursions  between  morning  and  even- 
ing of  the  same  day. 

Here  are  situated  such  hotels  as  the  Hamilton,  Princess, 
American.  Windsor,  Imperial,  Atlantic,  Washington,  and 
Victoria  Lodge,  which,  together  wnth  numerous  boarding- 
houses,  amply  accommodate  tourists  in  the  winter  season. 
Here  also  are  the  public  buildings,  set  within  pretty,  park- 
like grounds,  the  custom-house,  the  public  library,  colonial 
office,  etc. ;  and  as  for  stores,  the  business  streets  are  lined 
with  them,  within  which  may  be  found  large  and  varied  stocks 
of  foreign  dry  goods,  hardware,  wine,  and  spirits  at  prices 
far  below  the  average  in  the  United  States.  Stray  where  one 
will,  he  cannot  go  amiss  for  attractive  scenes,  bits  of  archi- 
tecture, quaint  and  picturesque,  objects  of  interest  to  one  who 
is  making  a  first  visit  to  the  semi-tropics.  Victoria  Park 
will  claim  attention  at  once,  for  it  is  prominent  from  the 
Hamilton,  and  the  famous  rubber  tree,  in  a  private  garden 
quite  near,  wMth  a  trunk  twelve  feet  in  circumference,  and 
immense  branching  limbs. 

The  first  thing  the  tourist  should  purchase  after  being  estab- 
lished at  a  hotel  is  the  Driving  and  Cycling  Road  Map  of 
Bermuda,  on  sale  at  the  stores  at  fifty  cents,  and  (if  this 
Guide  be  found  insufficient)  the  Bermuda  Pocket  Almanack. 
Guide  and  Directory  (fifty  cents),  published  by  the  Royal 
Gazette,  which  is  brought  strictly  up-to-date  the  first  of  every 
year.  Equipped  with  these,  one  need  not  go  astray,  since  the 
islands  are  entirely  road-surrounded  as  well  as  sea-engirdled. 
But  if  local  guides  are  wanted,  they  may  be  obtained  without 
effort,  since  they  swarm,  with  and  without  vehicles  as  con- 


26  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST   INDIES 

veyances.  in  exevy  public  place.  The  roads  are  superb,  hard 
as  the  coral  rock  of  which  they  are  made  (and  as  white 
and  glaring),  never  muddy,  rarely  even  moist.  Take,  as 
your  first  venture,  the  inspiring  walk  from  Hamilton  through 
Cedar  Avenue,  past  Victoria  Park  to  Mount  Langdon  and 
Government  House,  only  a  mile.  Aside  from  the  beautiful 
grounds  here,  containing  all  sorts  of  tropical  trees  and  shrubs, 
a  magnificent  view  is  aft'orded  of  the  entire  north  shore,  from 
St.  George's  forts  to  Ireland  Island;  and,  in  fact,  of  almost 
the  whole  island,  curling  around  its  several  sounds  and 
harbours,  island  dotted. 

Admiralty  House  is  about  two  miles  distant,  on  Spanish 
Point,  the  road  leading  to  it  being  the  most  charming  imag- 
inable. It  may  be  called  a  continuation  of  Front  Street ;  but, 
soon  leaving  the  busy  thoroughfare,  it  winds  through  scenery 
which  has  evoked  the  admiration  of  thousands,  past  Pitts  Bay 
with  its  quarries  and  Olive  Hill,  bisecting  historic  estates 
where  ancient  worthies  lived,  past  beautiful  Fairy  Land, 
amid  fragrant  lily  fields,  and  around  Mangrove  Creek,  where 
the  trees  that  bestow  the  name  overhang  the  placid  waters. 
The  extensive  grounds  about  Admiralty  House  have  their 
peculiar  features,  differentiating  them  from  those  at  Mount 
Langdon,  and  the  views  thence,  and  from  the  extremity  of 
Spanish  Point,  are  particularly  fine,  giving  nearer  glimpses 
of  Ireland  Island,  lovely  Somerset,  and  the  Great  Sound. 
There  is  a  cave  in  the  cliffs,  which  was  tunnelled  by  a  former 
admiral,  who  gave  a  ball  in  it  to  celebrate  its  completion, 
and  all  along  the  north  shore,  as  w^ell  as  inside  the  point, 
are  delightful  little  inlets  from  the  sea  and  bay. 

Excursions  about  the  Islands.  A  delightful  day's  trip 
may  be  made  to  St.  George's,  taking  in  the  "sights"  on  the 
way.  The  distance  over  the  noble  highway  is  about  twelve 
miles.  Vehicles  with  careful  drivers  are  always  available, 
and  the  mail  coach  makes  the  journey  twice  a  day.  While 
three  roads,  all  good  ones,  lead  out  from  Hamilton,  they  all 
converge  at  or  near  Flatt's,  or  the  Causeway,  w^hence 
a  single  road  runs  to  St.  George's.  Taking  the  North  Road, 
via  lovely  Cedar  Avenue,  we  pass  the  Woodlands,  with  its 
cocoanut  palms,  quaint  Pembroke  Church,  and  Mount  Lang- 
don, turning  sharply  to  the  right  at  the  coast  nearly  opposite 


THE  BERMUDAS  27 

a  rock  overhanging  the  water,  which  is  known  as  the  Duck- 
ing Stool.  Here,  tradition  states,  certain  sharp-tongued 
beldams  of  yore  were  wont  to  be  ducked  in  the  sea. 

We  pass  the  Wells,  of  little  consequence,  and  Gibbons  Bay, 
where,  at  low  water,  shells  and  seaweeds  may  be  collected, 
and  at  Flatt's  Village  find  one  of  the  old,  but  now  disused, 
seaports  of  the  islands,  where  the  chief  attraction  is  a  great 
mahogany  tree,  the  largest  in  Bermuda,  with  a  trunk  seven 
feet  in  circumference.  Opposite  Flatt's  is  Gallon's  Island, 
on  the  summit  of  which  stands  Ouashi's  Pole,  marking  the 
spot  where  a  slave  was  gibbeted  in  1754  for  murdering  his 
master.  The  inlet  at  Flatt's  enters  Harrington  Sound,  a 
centre  of  picturesqueness,  the  placid  waters  of  which  afiford 
delight  to  many  excursionists,  for  its  shores  are  rugged,  and 
in  its  centre  is  interesting  Trunk  Island,  while  the  cliff-lined 
North  Shore  is  the  abode  of  tropic  birds.  For  submarine 
explorations  there  is  no  better  spot  than  Harrington  Sound. 

On  the  south  shore  of  this  sound  is  the  famous  Devil's  Hole, 
or  Neptune's  Grotto,  said  to  possess  subterranean  connection 
with  the  ocean,  the  surfs  of  which  beat  upon  the  coast  near 
by.  It  usually  contains  a  thousand  finny  denizens  of  almost 
every  kind  and  every  hue,  such  as  lovely  angel-fish  and 
voracious  groupers.  An  admittance  fee  to  the  Hole  is 
charged — one  shilling — as  it  belongs  to  an  enterprising  indi- 
vidual, who  keeps  it  well  stocked  with  fish.  Devil's  Hole  is 
on  the  southern  route  around  the  sound,  further  following 
which  for  about  two  miles,  we  arrive  at  Paynter's  Vale, 
one  of  Bermuda's  exquisite  beauty-spots,  where  are  the 
ruins  of  an  ancient  mansion  and  a,  family  burial-ground. 
Near  these  is  a  deep  hollow  called  Plantation  Hole,  where 
the  rare  fiddle-wood,  myrtle,  and  coffee  trees  may  be  found 
growing  wild,  and  not  far  distant  is  Chalk  Cave,  once  the 
dwelling-place  of  an  old  black  woman.  If  the  road  be  taken 
to  its  termination  at  Castle  Point,  on  the  way  will  be  passed 
the  Government  Quarries,  where  the  best  limestone  on  the 
island  is  obtained.  A  fine  view  is  spread  before  one  from 
Paynter's  Hill,  which  is  rather  steep,  but  well  worth  climb- 
ing, rising,  as  it  does,  between  Harrington  Sou)id  and  Castle 
Harbour,  each  of  which  would  demand  at  least  a  day  for 
exploration. 


28  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST  INDIES 

About  midway  between  Paynter's  Vale  and  the  North  Road 
(returning  northwardly)  we  find  classic  WalsingJiam,  a 
miniature  wilderness  of  beauty,  where  at  one  time  resided 
the  Bard  of  Erin,  Thomas  Moore,  in  1804.  Here  he  lived 
a  while ;  here  he  wrote  those  lines  that  have  well-nigh  im- 
mortalised the  locality,   such  as : 

Could  you  but  view  the  scenery  fair, 
That  now  beneath  my  window  lies, 

You'd  think  that  Nature  lavished  there 
Her  purest  wave,  her  softest  skies. 

To  make  a  heaven  for  love  to  sigh  in, 

For  bards  to  live  and  saints  to  die  in. 

Walsing}ia}}i  was  more  favoured  by  the  presence  of  the  poet 
than  the  town  in  which  he  should  have  served  as  registrar 
of  the  Admiralty  Court ;  and  little  wonder,  for  the  views  here 
are  entrancing.  When  the  weather  was  hot  he  might  have 
sought  the  seclusion  of  the  wonderful  caves,  here  seen,  with 
their  glassy  lake  and  still  more  wonderful  stalagmites  and 
stalactites,  now  illuminated  to  order  by  artificial  lights. 
Charge  for  entering  the  caves,  one  shilling.  Near  by,  right 
at  the  caves'  mouth,  stands  "Tom  Moore's  calabash  tree," 
also  celebrated  by  the  prolific  poet  in  enticing  verse.  It  casts 
small  shade  at  present;  but  its  remains  are  here,  as  if  to 
verify  the  verse. 

These  islands  have  been  greatly  favoured  by  the  ]\Iuses,  so 
far  as  having  been  the  temporary  home,  or  the  theme,  of 
exotic  poets ;  though  it  is  not  known  that  any  native  ever 
acquired  great  fame.  .  Shakespeare,  misled  by  a  pamphlet, 
founded  his  play  of  The  Tempest  upon  their  supposedly 
evil  character;  W'aller  wrote  lines  on  them  during  his  exile; 
also  Montgomery,  as  quoted,  and  many  modern  poets  have 
celebrated  the  beauties  of  Bermuda ;  perhaps  none  more 
appreciatively  than  Lucy  Larcom,  in  her  Bermoothes:         * 

Prospero's  realm  and  Miranda's  isles. 

Floating  to  music  of  Ariel 
Upon   fantasy's  billow,   that  glows  and   smiles, 

Flushing  response  to  the  lovely  spell ; 
Tremulous  colour  and  outline  seem 
Lucent  as  glassed  in  a  life-like  dream. 


THE  BERMUDAS  29 

Not  far  from  Walsingham  is  the  Blue  Hole,  a  piscatorial 
rival  of  the  Devil's  Hole,  where  also  fish  of  varied  hues 
may  be  seen  swimming  about  in  captivity ;  and  the  famed 
Joyce's  Dock  Caves,  with  wonderful  stalactites,  which  are 
on  occasion  artificially  illuminated.  Near  the  Blue  Hole  com- 
mences the  Causeway,  finished  in  1871,  which  crosses  a 
neck  of  Castle  Harbour  and  connects  with  St.  George's 
proper,  via  Long  Bird  Island,  and  the  swing  bridge  at  Stock's 
Point,  123  feet  in  length.  Had  we  continued  on  the  North 
Road  from  Flatt's  Village  we  should  have  enjoyed  fine  ocean 
scenery  all  the  way,  but  nothing  to  compare  with  the  placid 
waters  of  the  sounds  and  their  environment  of  cragged 
shores.  We  could  have  gained  St.  George's  Island  by  the 
old-time  ferry,  which  in  storms  is  dangerous  to  essay,  but  the 
swing-bridge  route  is  preferable,  though  in  either  case  we 
should  obtain  one  of  the  most  exquisite  views  in  the  islands, 
at  the  head  of  the  inlet  known  as  Mnillct  Bay,  with  a  diminu- 
tive islet  in  its  centre,  shore-connected  by  a  wooden  bridge. 

Town  of  St.  George's.  St.  George's,  on  an  island  of  the 
same  name,  at  the  extreme  northeast  tip  of  the  chain,  with  its 
deep  and  well-fortified  harbour,  was  chosen  as  the  site  of 
Bermudas'  first  settlement,  and  for  many  years  was  chief 
town  and  capital.  It  is  two  hours  nearer  New  York  and 
Halifax  than  Hamilton,  its  rival,  for  the  ship-channel  begins 
off  shore,  through  which  steamers  must  pursue  their  devious 
way  to  the  Great  Sound  and  the  capital.  It  is  a  quaint  and 
extremely  picturesque  old  town,  with  narrow  streets, 
walled-in  gardens,  and  houses  of  massive  construction 
dating  from  Bermudas'  past.  We  have  seen  similar 
towns  in  the  Orient,  only  with  more  of  palms  and  pawpaws, 
bananas  and  cacti  overhanging  the  walls.  That  it  was  built 
long  ago  its  narrow  streets  attest,  for  most  of  them  are  mere 
bridle  trails,  which  wind  up  and  down  hill  in  a  manner 
peculiarly  their  own.  The  oldest  church  is  here,  too,  con- 
taining several  mural  tablets  of  ancient  days,  and  cherishing 
a  communion  service  of  massive  silver,  presented  by  King 
William  III.  in  1684,  and  a  silver  christening  basin  given  by 
Governor  William  Browne,  who  came  here  from  Massa- 
chusetts when  expelled  from  that  colony  in  Revolutionary 
days.     Near  by  the  church  is  a  very  pretty  Public  Garden, 


30  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST  INDIES 

with  clusters  of  date-palms  more  than  a  century  old.  In  the 
garden  wall  at  the  left  of  the  gate  is  a  marble  tablet  in  com- 
memoration of  Sir  George  Somers,  the  patron  saint  of  the 
town,  whose  heart  was  buried  here,  though  his  body  was 
taken  to  England.     The  inscription  reads: 

"Near  this  spot  was  interred,  in  the  year  1616,  the  heart  of 
the  heroic  Admiral  Sir  George  Somers,  Kt.,  zvho  nobly  sacri- 
ficed his  life  to  carry  succour  to  the  infant  and  suffering 
plantation  nozv  the  State  of  Virginia.  To  preserve  his  fame 
for  future  ages,  near  the  scene  of  his  memorable  shipzvreck, 
i6og,  the  Governor  and  Commander-in-Chief  of  this  Colony 
for  the  time  being  caused  this  tablet  to  be  erected  in  1876." 

St.  George's  is  noted  for  its  forts,  as  Albert,  Victoria,  Cath- 
erine and  Fort  George,  all  offering  fine  views  and  command- 
ing the  approaches  to  a  harbour  in  which  it  is  claimed  all 
the  ships  of  the  British  navy  might  ride  securely.  Like 
Hamilton,  it  offers  fine  facilities  for  boating,  and  if  possible 
while  here  one  should  visit  the  islands  in  its  harbour,  as 
St.  David's,  with  its  lighthouse;  also  the  picturesque  isles  and 
shores  of  Castle  Harbour. 

Above  the  town,  on  the  eminence  of  Rose  Hill,  100  feet 
high,  stands  Bermudas'  newest  hotel,  the  palatial  St.  George, 
set  in  spacious  grounds,  and  commanding  magnificent  views. 
A  recent  writer  saj-s  of  the  town : 

"Viewed  from  the  piazza  of  the  St.  George,  its  Puritan- 
like church  and  narrow  streets,  laid  out  before  horses  and 
carriages  came  into  use,  appeal  strongly  to  the  imagination 
of  the  visitor.  Many  charming  legends  cling  to  the  old  town, 
and  will  no  doubt  be  related  by  the  oldest  inhabitant  to  the 
newest  visitor. 

"From  out  of  its  harbour  in  1610  sailed  the  expedition 
which  carried  relief  to  the  struggling  colony  at  Jamestown, 
thereby  securing  a  permanency  to  the  footing  on  the  main- 
land of  the  now  dominant  race.  During  the  momentous  oc- 
currences of  the  American  Revolution,  the  islanders  fought 
side  by  side  with  their  kinsmen  at  Yorktown.  From  the 
hotel  will  be  pointed  out  the  site  of  Fort  William,  from 
whence  gunpowder  was  stolen  which  rendered  timely  ser- 
vice to  Washington  at  Bunker  Hill.  Here,  too,  the  War  of 
1812  has  left  its  impress.  Under  the  shade  oi  the  clock 
tower,  in  plain  view  from  the  dining-room  windows,  in  a 
quiet  corner  of  the  old  churchyard,  sleeps  one  of  America's 
heroes,  Richard  Sutherland  Dale,  a  lineal  descendant  of 
Sir  Thomas  Dale,  Governor  of  Virginia,  and  a  midshipman  on 


THE  BERMUDAS  31 

board  the  American  frigate  President.  Wounded  in  an  en- 
gagement with  the  British  frigate  Endymion,  he  was  brought 
to  Bermuda  with  the  President,  after  her  capture,  and  suc- 
cumbed to  his  injuries. 

"The  St.  George  is  linked  to  the  days  of  the  blockade  by 
the  building  now  used  as  the  annex.  It  was  here  the  agent 
for  the  Confederate  government  had  his  residence.  From 
his  flagstaff  the  flag  of  the  Southern  Confederacy  floated  to 
the  breeze,  and  in  and  out  its  corridors  went  the  participants 
in  many  an  exciting  chase. 

"The  view  from  the  St.  George  veranda  beggars  descrip- 
tion; poets  and  painters  have  alike  exhausted  upon  it  their 
resources.  Such  shade  colourings  of  sea  and  sky,  and  com- 
binations of  land  and  sea  scape,  are  found  only  in  Bermuda."' 

The  South  Shore  Road.  Of  the  three  roads  which,  as  said, 
converge  at  Harrington  Sound,  the  Great  South  Road,  which 
really  extends  all  along  the  southern  shore,  from  Castle 
Point  to  Ireland  Island,  ofifers  what  has  been  truly  called 
an  unrivalled  seaside  drive.  Beginning  at  Tuckerstown 
(which  is  no  town  at  all,  but  a  cute  little  water-nook,  with 
fine  sand-beach  and  a  natural  arch)  and  running  westerly, 
one  sees  the  unique,  long  and  narrow  lake  among  the  sand- 
hills, called  Peniston  Pond,  filled  with  brackish  water.  The 
south  shore  gets  the  ocean  breezes  and  the  ocean  surf,  so  it  is 
cooler  than  the  north  side,  the  sand-beaches  are  finer  and 
more  numerous,  and  the  cliff  forms  superb.  One  of  the 
attractions  here  is  the  so-called  Spanish  Rock,  on  the  flat- 
tened face  of  which  are  the  initials  of  the  Portuguese,  Ferdi- 
nand Camelo,  who  first  visited  the  island  after  Bermudez, 
in  1543.  Beyond  again  are  Devonshire  Fort  and  the  inlet 
of  Hungry  Bay,  with  its  muddy  mangrove  swamps. 

If  the  Middle  Road  had  been  taken  from  Hamilton  we 
should  have  had  some  rather  pretty  scenery,  and  might  have 
passed  the  fine  military  camp  at  Prospect,  finding  the  chief 
object  of  interest,  however,  in  antiquated  Devonshire  Church, 
with  its  ancient  cemetery,  guarded  by  a  still  older  cedar, 
thought  to  be  the  patriarch  of  the  island.  The  cedar,  doubt- 
less, is  an  indigenous  tree,  but  the  cocoa  and  the  cabbage- 
palms  (miscalled  "royal")  were  all  brought  from  the  West 
Indies.  Five -beautiful  cabbage-palms — the  Oreodoxa  oleracea 
— tower  above  surrounding  vegetation  not  far  from  Ham- 
ilton, near  the  end  of  the  harbour.     These  are  the  island's 


32  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST   INDIES 

monarchs  in  the  arboreal  line,  being  about  eighty  feet  high, 
but  in  the  West  Indies,  where  they  are  native,  they  attain 
to  nearly  twice  that  height.  Here,  where  a  thirty-foot  tree 
is  called  a  giant,  they  are  objects  of  wonder  and  admiration. 
At  any  rate,  they  are  probably  the  only  trees  of  their  species 
to  be  found  so  far  north. 

Road  to  Somerset.  Tamarinds,  cocoas  and  other  tropical 
trees  may  be  seen  on  this  road,  leading  from  Hamilton  tc 
Somerset,  on  the  western  side  of  the  bay.  The  scenery  is  not 
striking,  but  in  Paget  parish,  half  a  mile  from  the  old  church 
(built  in  1769),  are  found  the  drifting  sand-hills,  which,  in 
the  course  of  time,  have  covered  cedar  groves  and  even 
houses,  the  chimney  of  one  house  protruding  as  its  monument. 
The  sand-beach  at  the  shore  is  smooth  and  hard,  while  at 
low  water  one  may  reach  those  curiously  hollowed  rocks 
known  as  the  "boilers."  Not  far  from  here  are  the  Royal 
Engineer  quarries,  containing  some  of  the  finest  shell-stone 
in  the  islands.  It  has  been,  of  course,  already  noted  that  the 
houses  of  Bermuda  are  constructed  of  this  stone,  cut  from 
the  quarries  with  handsaws  and  chisels.  Nearly  every  owner 
of  a  lot  has  his  own  quarry,  and  in  the  process  of  excavating 
his  cellar  he  may  at  the  same  time  get  out  all  needed  material 
for  walls  and  roof — a  constructive  process  economical  in  the 
extreme. 

Warwick  CJiurch  and  pond  are  attractive  features  in  the 
parish  of  the  same  name,  next  west  of  Paget,  and  beyond,  in 
the  parish  of  Southampton,  stands  the  one  object  which  no 
visitor  to  the  Bermudas  should  miss  seeing  and  surmount- 
ing— the  Gibbs  Hill  Lighthouse.  The  undulating  surface  of 
the  islands  generally  is  rarely  more  than  from  25  to  50  feet 
above  sea-level,  but  here  it  rises  to  the  height  of  260  feet, 
and  by  ascending  to  the  gallery  of  the  lighthouse  one  may 
view  the  entire  group  from  an  altitude  of  365  feet.  The 
structure  itself  is  of  iron,  for  the  first  22  feet  filled  with 
solid  concrete,  and  supporting  a  light  of  nearly  100,000  candle- 
power,  visible  from  a  ship's  mast  forty  miles  at  sea,  and 
from  the  deck  of  a  steamer  twenty-five  or  thirty  miles.  It 
was  installed  in  1845,  and  cost  nearly  $30,000.  From  the 
gallery,  to  which  all  visitors  are  admitted,  a  magnificent 
bird's-eye  view  is  obtained  of  the  entire  chain  of  islands, 


THE  BERMUDAS  33 

which,  it  is  no  exaggeration  to  say,  for  contour  and  colour 
is  probably  unsurpassed,  with  its  sheets  of  azure  (sea  and 
sky)  and  emerald  islets  with  their  circlets  of  golden  sand. 

Quaint  Fort  Royal,  with  its  old  church  on  the  verge  of 
wave-washed  cliffs,  containing  parish  records  nearly  three 
hundred  years  old.  is  about  half  a  mile  south  of  the  light- 
house, beyond  which  again  the  highway  curves  around  the 
Elbow  into  Somerset,  a  parish  which  has  views  and  beauty- 
spots  all  its  own. 

We  now  leave  the  "Alain"  and  cross  by  a  bridge  into  Somer- 
set Island,  from  which  reverse  views  are  opened  of  Great 
Sound.  Hamilton  Harbour  and  Spanish  Point.  Off  to  the 
left  is  historic  Wreck  Hill,  where,  in  those  rude  days  when 
the  islanders  depended  for  a  living  mainly  upon  what  the 
tempests  brought  them  in  the  shape  of  wrecks,  they  congre- 
gated after  every  storm.  Almost  at  its  foot  lies  the  gem- 
like inlet,  Eli's  Harbour,  the  emerald-tinted  waters  of  which 
are  enclosed  within  encircling  shores  fringed  wath  the 
fragrant  native  cedar.  As  every  parish  in  the  group  has  its 
own  little  church,  so  also  Somerset,  though  it  cannot  compare 
for  interest  with  that  of  Paget,  Devonshire  or  St.  George's. 
The  island  is  terminated  by  Mangrove  Bay,  on  the  outer  or 
seaward  neck  of  which  is  an  open  beach,  where  after  heavy 
gales  the  collector  may  be  rewarded  by  finding  rare  shells, 
sponges,  and  seaweeds. 

Ireland  Island;  the  Floating  Dock.  At  the  barb  of  the 
'"fish-hook"  lies  Ireland  Island,  connected  with  Somersef  by 
means  of  bridges,  with  Boa:^  and  ll'alford  islands  intervening 
It  can  best  be  reached  by  water  from  Hamilton,  in  about  half 
an  hour,  by  means  of  the  "Islands  Steamboat  Service."  the 
boats  of  which  carry  the  mails,  calling  at  Boaz  and  Somerset. 
Fare,  one  shilling.  The  views  afforded  here  of  Spanish  Point 
and  the  north  shore  are  similar  to  those  from  the  deck  of  the 
steamer  coming  into  harbour.  The  chief  object  of  inter- 
est, and  one  worth  going  to  view,  is  the  enormous  -floating 
dock,  which  was  built  in  England,  and  after  a  voyage  of 
fifty-five  days  placed  in  position  here  in  1902.  This  is  the 
second  floating  dock  to  occupy  the  immense  artificial  basin 
at  Ireland  Island,  the  first  having  arrived  in  1869.  This  was 
then  called  the  largest  floating  dock  in  the  world,  but  the 


34  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST   INDIES 

increase  in  size  of  Britain's  great  battleships  necessitated  the 
instalment  of  another,  and  the  new  giant,  then  also  the  largest 
of  its  kind,  was  towed  across  the  ocean  and  given  a  berth  at 
Ireland  Island.  It  is  more  than  i6o  feet  longer  than  the  old 
Bermuda,  its  length  over  all  being  545  feet,  breadth  126  feet, 
and  between  walls  100  feet.  The  height  of  its  vertical  walls 
is  53  feet,  their  length  435  feet,  and  thickness  13  feet.  Its 
extreme  lifting  power  is  17,500  tons,  and  the  total  weight  of 
its  hull  is  6.500  tons.  This  is  the  leviathan  which  England 
has  sent  out  to  supplement  her  naval  vessels  in  the  Bermudas. 
There  are  at  present  four  powerful  cruisers  comprising  his 
jMajesty's  "North  America  and  West  Indies,  and  Particular 
Service  Squadron,"  with  rendezvous  at  the  Bermudas.  These 
are  the  Eiiryalus  (flagship),  the  Hogue,  and  the  Siirlcj,  12,000 
tons  and  21.000  horse-power  each;  and  the  Terror,  6,200  tons, 
4.000  horse-power.  The  dockyard  is  open  to  visitors  daily, 
Sundays  excepted,  between  the  hours  of  10  a.m.  and  12  m., 
and  a  policeman  is  detailed  to  show  them  about  after  signing 
the  register. 

The  fortifications,  as  already  mentioned,  are  not  open  to 
inspection  by  strangers,  but  they  may  be  viewed  exteriorly, 
of  course ;  though  no  photographs  of  them  are  allowed  to  be 
taken.  Great  Britain  jealously  guards  her  "tight  little,  right 
little"  domain  in  the  Atlantic,  within  easy  striking  distance 
of  the  United  States,  and,  with  its  impregnable  position,  diffi- 
cult to  approach  and  assail,  it  constitutes,  with  Malta  and 
Gibraltar,  a  trio  of  defences  by  which  she  has  been  enabled 
to  "put  a  girdle  round  the  world."  In  line  with  the  new 
policy  adopted,  the  military  strength  of  the  islands  has  been 
reduced,  though  garrisons*  are  still  maintained  here,  contrib- 
uting not  a  little  to  the  support  and  enlivenment  of  the 
islands,  and  several  batteries  of  artillery,  in  addition  to  the 
royal  engineers. 

The  officers,  of  course,  are  the  life  of  society  here ;  but  the 
residents  do  not  depend  upon  them  entirely  for  entertain- 
ment, for  there  is  an  efficient  Yacht  Club,  the  Royal  Ber- 
muda ;  a  Dinghy  Sailing  Club,  a  Bermuda  Hunt  Club, 
all  which  are  extremely  popular. 

*The  g-arrison  consists  of  a  sing-le  regfiment  of  infantry  and  detach- 
ments of  royal  artillery  and  royal  engineers. 


THE  BERMUDAS  35 

Excursions  by  Water.  There  are  steam  ferries,  perma- 
nently established,  between  St.  George's  and  St.  David's 
Island,  Hamilton  and  Salt  Kettle,  across  the  harbour;  and 
Hamilton,  Ireland  Island,  and  Somerset.  Special  terms  may 
be  made  for  the  islands'  steamboats  when  off  duty,  and 
yachts  ($5  per  day,  with  boatmen)  as  well  as  small  boats  of 
every  sort  are  always  available.  Several  delightful  excursions 
are  open  to  the  visitor  at  St.  George's,  as  to  St.  David's, 
beautiful  Mullet  Bay,  the  Causeway,  and  Castle  Harbour, 
with  its  numerous  points  of  interest ;  IValsingham,  Joyce's 
Dock  Caves,  Tuckcrstown  Bay,  Castle,  Cooper's,  and  other 
islands  between  it  and  the  sea. 

Harrington  Sound,  completely  landlocked,  offers  a  safe  and 
beautiful  expanse  of  water  with  unique  surroundings,  already 
mentioned.  Boats  may  be  obtained  at  Flatt's  Bridge  for  this 
excursion.  Hamilton  Harbour,  however,  with  its  adjacent 
waters,  offers  the  most  attractive  lure  to  the  aquatic  explorer, 
with  curving  reach  of  shores,  all  interesting,  and  dotted  with 
islands  so  numerous  that  one  does  not  wonder  at  the  claim 
set  forth  by  Bermudians  of  "one  for  every  day  in  the  year," 
or  365  in  all.  There  is  indeed  an  embarrassment  of  riches 
in  this  respect,  and  now  that  the  government  has  consented 
to  lease  some  of  them,  or  such  as  it  does  not  need  for  future 
naval  purposes,  an  opportunity  is  offered  for  securing  ideal 
locations  for  midwinter  homes  in  Bermuda.  IMerely  to  enu- 
merate these  attractive  islets  would  take  much  space ;  but  the 
visitor  will  desire,  at  least,  to  inspect  Darrell's,  Morgan's,  and 
Tucker's  Islands,  where  the  Boer  prisoners  were  confined  in 
1901,  and  in  the  last  named  of  which  is  a  charming  cavern. 

When  the  weather  is  fine  an  excursion  to  the  outer  reefs 
may  be  undertaken ;  but  only  at  such  a  time,  and  with  expert 
boatmen,  as  they  lie  several  miles  off  shore,  where  the  least 
bit  of  wind  "kicks  up  a  bobbery,"  and  the  channels  thither 
are  devious  and  intricate.  But,  when  once  arrived  within 
the  area  of  the  "sea  gardens,"  with  their  floors  of  snowy  sand 
and  their  submarine  jungles  of  aquatic  vegetation,  through 
which  dart  brilliantly  coloured  fish  of  every  hue,  all  sense  of 
danger  departs,  banished  by  the  beauty  of  the  scene.  By 
means  of  a  water-glass  (a  wooden  box  with  a  glass  plate  in 
its  bottom)  all  things  below,  animate  as  well  as  inanimate, 


36  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST   INDIES 

ma}'  be  clearly  seen,  as  in  an  artificial  aquarium.  It  is  from 
these  reefs  that  the  New  York  Aquarium  obtains  its  rarest 
specimens  (more  than  i6o  being  native  here).  They  are 
caught  by  the  local  fishermen  (who  use  traps  or  pots  of  a  kind 
made  two  hundred  years  ago)  and  taken  to  Hamilton,  where 
they  are  placed  in  tanks  and  shipped  at  intervals  to  New  York 
by  special  arrangement  with  the  Quebec  line  of  steamers. 

Odd  Memoranda.  Bicycles  pay  a  duty  of  lo  shillings  each 
on  landing. 

Postage  to  and  from  Bermuda  is  2>^d.  (five  cents)  per 
ounce.  A  parcel-post  arrangement  exists  between  the  islands 
and  foreign  parts,  excepting  the  United  States,  by  which 
packages  up  to  eleven  pounds  may  be  sent  by  mail  at  i  shilling 
under  three  pounds,  2  between  three  and  seven  pounds.  3  be- 
tween seven  and  eleven  pounds. 

No  passport  is. needed. 

When  riding  or  driving,  one  should  remember  that  the  Eng- 
lish rule-of-the-road  makes  it  imperative  to  turn  to  the  left 
and  not  to  the  right  when  horse  or  vehicle  is  met. 

Do  not  omit  to  visit  the  old  churches,  beginning  with  Holy 
Trinity,  in  Hamilton  parish,  which  was  established  in  1623, 
and  was  covered  with  a  roof  of  thatch  until  1713.  Nor  should 
a  trip  to  Prospect,  a  short  walk,  be  left  out  of  the  itinerary. 
It  is  likely,  in  fact,  to  be  one  of  the  first,  for,  aside  from  the 
enchanting  view  from  Prospect  Hill,  the  garrison  officers 
have  their  quarters  here.  Temple  Rocks  and  AdiniraVs  Cave 
should  by  all  means  be  visited,  for  they  are  among  Bermuda's 
wonders. 

The  fragrant  lily  fields,  of  course,  will  be  their  own  ex- 
ponents, for  they  bloom  everywhere,  acres  and  acres  of  them, 
and  as  an  economic  product  have  completely  routed  the  erst- 
while ubiquitous  onion  and  potato.  Bermuda's  soil  is  gen- 
erally thin  and  difficult  to  cultivate,  thus  concentrated  farm- 
ing is  a  necessity.  The  range  of  plants,  however,  comprises 
everything  that  grows  within  the  semi-tropics,  and  something 
sweet  is  growing  all  the  time.  Hence  the  Bermuda  planter's 
advantage  over  his  continental  competitors. 

Hotels  and  Cost  of  Living.  The  cost  of  living  in  the 
Bermudas  will  compare  favourably  with  the  same  item  in  the 
United  States  and  Canada,  for,  sea-surrounded  as  they  are,  all 


THE  BERMUDAS  zi 

ports  of  the  Atlantic  are  in  a  sense  tributary  to  them,  many 
cargoes  of  ships  in  stress  find  enforced  sale  here,  and  English 
products  are  remarkably  cheap.  The  first  hotel  worthy  the 
name  was  built  by  the  Hamilton  Corporation  in  1852,  and  as  the 
Hamilton  Hotel,  still  maintains  the  high  standard  set  at  the 
beginning.  The  next  in  size,  the  Princess,  has  accommoda- 
tions for  300  guests,  and  is  nearer  the  harbour  than  the 
Hamilton,  which  is  built  upon  a  hill.  At  i.ts  foot  is  the 
American  House,  next  in  point  of  age  to  the  Princess,  which 
was  opened  in  1885.  The  largest  hotel  at  St.  George's  is  the 
new  one.  the  St.  George;  but  there  are  also  several  others. 
A  list  of  the  islands'  houses  is  given  below: 

Hotels  and  Boarding  Houses. 

HAMILTON 

Hamilton  Hotel,  $21  per  week  and  up. 

Per  Day 

Princess  Hotel $300  to  $5.00 

American  House 2.00  to    2.50 

Windsor  Hotel 2.00  to    2.50 

The  Kenwood 2.00  to    3.00 

The  Imperial 2.50  to    3.50 

Per  Week 

Victoria  Lodge $12.00  to  $14.00 

Atlantic  Hotel 12.00  to    14.00 

Washington  House 12.00  to    14.00 

Llanswith   14.00 

Sunny  Brae 10.00  to    12.00 

Bermuda  Catering  Co. 

PAGET 

Overlooking  Hamilton  Harbour,  five  minutes  from  Hamilton 
by  ferry.     Short  drive  by  land. 

Per  Week 
Edgemerc,  Paget  West,  near  Salt  Kettle  Ferry,  $12.00  to  $14.00 
Inverurie,  Paget  West $10.00  to  $12.00 

flatt's  village 

Per  Week 
Frascati  $12.00  to  $15.00 

Twenty  minutes'  drive  from  steamer's  wharf. 


Scaur  Hill. 


SOMERSET  BRIDGE 

Nine  miles  from  Hamilton. 


38  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST  INDIES 

ST.   GEORGE 

Twelve  miles  from  Hamilton. 

Per  Day 

The  new  St.   George $4.00  up 

Globe  Hotel 3.00 

St.    George's    Hotel 3.00 

Per  Week 

Mt.  Erie $11.00 

Wellsley  Lodge $10.00  to    12.00 

Harrington  House 10.00  to    12.00 

On  Harrington  Sound. 

Seaward,  Bailey's  Bay 10.00  to    12.00 

Fountain  House , 10.00  to    12.00 

WARWICK 

Mrs.  A.  E.  Conyers Terms  reasonable 

Means  of  Communication.  Until  within  a  few  years  the 
Bermudas  were  entirely  isolated  in  every  sense,  but  at  present 
they  are  connected  with  the  American  Continent  by  means  of 
the  Halifax  and  Bermudas  Cable,  laid  in  1890,  and  with 
Turks  Island  and  Jamaica  by  the  Direct  West  Indian  Cable, 
which  was  completed  in  1898. 

Steamship  Lines.  The  only  direct  line  between  New  York 
and  Bermudas  is  the  Quebec  Steamship  Company,  which 
began  its  service  in  1874,  and  has  continued,  with  increasing 
accommodations  for  tourist  travel,  until  the  present  time. 
Although  granted  a  monopoly  of  American  traffic,  and  sub- 
sidised by  the  colonial  government,  it  has  more  than  met  the 
requirements  of  both  trade  and  traffic,  and  has  aided  im- 
mensely in  attracting  attention  to  the  islands.  Its  latest  addi- 
tion to  the  Bermudas  fleet  is  the  big  twin-screw  steamship 
Bermudian,  5,500  tons,  which  makes  the  trip  between  ports 
in  a  little  less  than  two  days.  Sailings  during  the  winter 
season,  every  five  or  six  days.  Fares,  one  way.  $30  and  up- 
ward;  return,  $50  and  upward. 

Between  Halifax  and  the  Bermudas  the  Pickford  and  Black 
line ;  sailings  every  fourteen  days ;  time  between  ports,  four 
days:  (i)  Halifax  to  Bermudas,  Turks  Island  and  Jamaica; 
(2)  Halifax  to  Bermudas,  Trinidad  and  Demerara.  This  line 
offers  communication  with  the  West  Indies  (as  above),  in 
addition  taking   St.   Kitts,   Antigua,   Montserrat,   Dominica, 


THE  BERMUDAS  39 

St.  Lucia,  St.  Vincent,  and  Grenada.  Fares:  Halifax  to 
Bermudas,  first  class,  one  way,  $30;  return,  $50.  Bermudas 
to  Turks,  $20 ;  to  Jamaica,  $20 ;  to  Santiago  de  Cuba,  $20. 

The  Quebec  Line,  the  Royal  Mail,  and  the  Hamburg- 
American  offer  winter  excursions  to  and  from  the  Bermudas, 
Nassau,  etc. 

Between  the  Bermudas  and  England  there  are  two  lines  of 
steamers,  the  "Direct"  and  the  "Imperial,"  with  irregular, 
but  generally  monthly,  sailings. 

The  direct  service  is  first-class,  but  cannot  compete  with 
the  Atlantic  liners  to  New   York,   as  an   intermediate  port. 

History.     Discovered  by  Juan   Bermudez,  a   Spaniard,   in  a 
ship  called  the  Garca,  or  Heron,  on  a  voyage  from 
151 5         Spain  to  Cuba  with  a  cargo  of  hogs.     The  eminent 
historian  Oviedo  was  on  board,  and  to  him  we  are 
indebted  for  a  record  of  the  discovery.     But  the  Spaniards 
did  not  remain  long,  owing  to  a  gale  arising,  and  the  first 
to  take   possession   of  the   "Berm.oothes"    was   Fer- 
1543         dinand   Camelo,   a   Portuguese,  whose  initials,   with 
a  cross,  may  be  seen  carved  on  the  face  of  "Spanish 
Rock."     The  next  to  land,  so  far  as  we  know,  was  Captain 
Henry  May,   whose   ship   was   wrecked   there   when 
1593        on  the  way  home  from  a  piratical  expedition  to  the 
East  and  West  Indies.     The  shipwrecked  crew  lived 
here  five  months,  subsisting  upon  the  wild  hogs,  which  were 
then  numerous,  native  fruits,   and  vegetables.     They  finally 
built  a  vessel,  using  Bermuda  cedar,  forests  of  which  covered 
the    islands,    and    set    sail    for    Newfoundland,    where    they 
safely  arrived  in  May,   1594,  and  thence  made  their  way  to 
England. 
The  next  visit  to  the  islands  had  its  origin  in  an  expedition 
sent  out  from  England  to  the  Jamestown  settlement,  in  Vir- 
ginia.   One  of  the  ships,  the  Sea  Venture,  containing 
1609         150  mariners  and  passengers,  including  Sir  Thomas 
Gates.  Sir  George  Somers,  and  Captain  Christopher 
Newport,  sprang  a  leak  not  far  from  the  Bermudas,  and  was 
run  ashore  in  order  to  save  her.    They  arrived  the  last  week 
in  July,  1609,  and  having  saved  all  their  provisions,  subsisted 
upon  these   and   the  wild  animals   with   which   the   islands 


40  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST  INDIES 

abounded  until  the  next  I\Iay,  when,  having  constructed  two 
vessels  from  cedar,  they  set  sail  for  Jamestown,  which  was 
safely  reached  on  the  23d  of  that  month.  As  the  settlement 
was  in  a  destitute  condition.  Sir  George  Somers  volunteered 
to  return  to  the  Bermudas  for  supplies,  and  set  out  in  his 
cedar  vessel.  The  voyage  was  protracted  by  storms,  and  the 
aged  leader  succumbed  soon  after  reaching  the  islands.  His 
companions  soon  after  embarked  for  England,  taking  with 
them  Sir  George's  body,  but  leaving  his  heart  in  the  soil 
which  he  was  so  desirous  of  implanting  with  colonists.    Their 

accounts  created  a  furor  for  emigration  in  England, 
1612        and  the  first  shipload  of  colonists  was  sent  out  in 

April,  1612.  They  found  on  arrival  there  three  men 
who  had  been  left  tw^o  years  before,  and  who  had  discovered 
a  large  lump  of  precious  ambergris,  which  the  new  governor 
of  the  colony  immediately  appropriated,  threatening  to  hang 
the  only  member  of  the  unlucky  trio  who  protested  against 
this  spoliation.  A  settlement  was  commenced  at  the  present 
port  of  St.  George's  (named  in  honour  of  Sir  George 
Somers.  as  the  islands  had  also  been  called  after  him,  the 
"Somers  Islands"),  and  before  the  end  of  1615  at  least  six 
vessels  had  arrived,  bringing  more  than  300  colonists.  About 
this  time  an  official  survey  was  made  of  the  islands  by  one 
Richard  Norwood,  and  the  lands  divided  into  "tribes"  or 
parishes.  "These  shares  form  the  foundation  of  the  land 
tenure  of  the  islands  even  to  this  day.  the  divisional  lines  in 
many  cases  yet  remaining  intact."  Under  Governor  Daniel 
Tucker,  who  had  been  sent  out  by  the  chartered  company, 
the  laws  were  rigorously  enforced,  and  a  local  currency  was 
provided  by  stamping  pieces  of  brass  with  the  figure  of  a 
wild  hog  on  the  obverse  and  on  the  reverse  that  of  a  ship. 
This  "hog  money,"  as  it  is  called,  is  extremely  rare,  but  is 
occasionally  found  by  cultivators  of  the  soil. 

Governor  Tucker  introduced  the  first  tropical  fruits  and 
vegetables,  such  as  figs,  pineapples,  sugar-cane,  bananas,  and 
pawpaws,  and  these  precious  products,  which  he  obtained 
from  the  West  Indies,  have  thrived  so  well  that  they  might 
be  looked  upon  as  indigenous.  Tobacco  came  later,  but  was 
abandoned  as  a  cultivation  earh'  in  the  eighteenth  century. 
The  potato  was  probably  introduced  about  this  time,  as  it 


THE  BERMUDAS  41 

was  then  well  known  in  England,  thanks  to  Sir  Walter 
Raleigh's  sagacity.  Slaves,  too,  from  the  West  Indies  began 
to  come  in,  brought  by  the  buccaneering  craft  sent  out  from 
the  Bermudas ;  and,  in  fact,  under  stern  Governor  Tucker 
the  colonists  themselves  were  little  better  than  slaves,  for  he 
maltreated  many  and  hanged  not  a  few. 

The  first  general  assembly  convened  in  1620,  and  during 
the  next  decade  many  forts,  bridges,  private  and  public  build- 
ings were  constructed,  as  shown  in  Captain  John 
1620  Smith's  wonderful  map,  published  in  his  General 
Historic  of  Virginia,  Nezv  England  and  the  Summer 
lis,  1624.  At  this  time,  while  the  English  were  struggling 
for  a  foothold  on  the  North  American  coast,  Jamestown  and 
Plymouth  being  their  only  successful  colonies,  the  Bermudas 
were  exceedingly  flourishing.  Their  settlers,  however,  seem 
to  have  obtained  more  from  the  sea  than  from  the  land,  not 
only  by  fishing  and  wrecking,  but  by  piracy,  which  'they  con- 
veniently called  privateering.  In  1665.  for  example,  one 
Captain  Wentworth.  of  the  Bermudas,  descended  suddenly 
upon  Tortola.  one  of  the  Virgin  Islands,  and  stole  ninety 
negroes  belonging  to  the  governor.  He  claimed  that  he  held 
a  commission  from  the  governor  and  council  of  the  Bermudas. 
In  fact,  a  certain  governor  himself,  in  the  last  decade  of  that 
century,  earned  the  reputation  of  being  a  "pirate  at  sea  and 
a  brigand  on  land,"  from  the  free-and-easy  manner  in  which 
he  deprived  other  people  of  their  properties. 
While  wreckers  and  privateers  swarmed  in  Bermudian 
waters,  those  rival  coral  islands,  the  Bahamas,  from  their 
greater  extent  and  opportunities  (being,  as  they 
1710  were,  in  the  track  of  Spanish  treasure-ships  home- 
ward bound  from  Peru  and  Panama),  became  the 
haunts  of  such  real  pirates  as  the  redoubtable  Blackbeard.  In 
1 701  the  governor  of  the  Bermudas  sent  an  armed  sloop 
against  them,  and  induced  more  than  a  hundred  of  the  "Sea 
Brothers"  to  settle  within  his  dominions.  The  'Mudians  were 
a  warlike  people,  some  two  hundred  years  ago,  and  in  1710 
attacked  and  captured  a  band  of  Spaniards  who  had  invaded 
Turks  Island,  in  the  Bahamas,  where  they  had  settled  for 
the  purpose  of  gathering  salt. 
It  will  have  been  seen  from  the  foregoing  that  the   Ber- 


42  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST   INDIES 

mudas  possessed,  toward  the  end  of  the  eighteenth  century, 
a  composite  population.  Its  basis  was  English,  but 
1775  during  the  years  of  its  existence  it  had  drawn  to  itself 
diverse  elements,  especially  seafarers  from  all  quarters 
of  the  Western  Hemisphere.  When,  therefore,  the  quarrel 
broke  out  between  Great  Britain  and  her  colonies  in  America. 
it  is  not  strange  that  the  'Mudians  should  feel  inclined  to  side 
with  the  colonists.  Then,  again,  they  were  forbidden  to  trade 
with  the  Americans,  among  whom  they  had  many  friends  as 
well  as  relatives.  Blood  may  be  "thicker  than  water,"  but  in 
this  case  there  was  vastly  more  water  between  the  Bermudas 
and  Great  Britain  than  between  them  and  the  colonies.  This 
is  in  allusion  to  the  well-known  fact  that  General  Washing- 
ton obtained  from  the  Bermudas  one  hundred  barrels  of 
giinpoivder  at  the  most  critical  period  of  the  Revolution. 
With  this  powder  he  compelled  the  British  to  evacuate  Boston 
in  March",  1776,  and  thus  may  be  said  to  have  "hoisted  them 
with  their  own  petard,"  for  it  certainly  came  from  the  British 
Bermudas. 

Though  the  American  patriots  had  intended  to  secure  the 
Bermudas  for  their  own,  and  succour  a  people  who  were  evi- 
dently not  averse  to  casting  their  fortunes  with  the 
1782  colonies,  yet  the  distance  separating  the  islands  from 
the  main  was  too  great,  as  well  as  British  men-of- 
war  too  formidable,  to  give  promise  of  success.  The 'Mudians 
continued  loyal  to  the  mother-land,  and  probably  have  had 
no  cause  to  regret  it,  for  she  has  certainly  done  more  for 
them  than  the  nearer  American  States  could,  or  would,  have 
done,  by  making  the  islands  a  naval  base  and  military  station, 
thus  dispensing  millions  of  pounds  sterling  among  the  native 
inhabitants.  One  William  Browne,  a  Tory  from  Salem,  Mas- 
sachusetts, was  governor  from  1782  to  1788,  and  when  he  left 
for  England  the  islanders  were  flourishing.  They  continued 
to  exist,  in  a  semi-somnolent  condition,  during  the  succeeding 
century. 
Isolated  in  their  vast  immensity  of  ocean,  they  were  rarely 
disturbed  by  doings  in  the  outside  world ;  but  when  the 
American  States  were  rent  by  civil  war — 1861-64 — the 
'Mudians  found  their  opportunity.  It  was  in  gathering  the 
golden  harvest,  brought  to  their  harbours  as  to  a  granary, 


.       THE  BERMUDAS  43 

by  the  blockade-runners.  The  ports  of  St.  George's  and 
Hamilton  woke  from  their  century-long  quiescence,  and  there 
was  once  more  wealth  for  everybody,  as  in  the  golden  days 
of  buccaneer  and  wrecker. 

The  advent  of  the  winter  tourist  was,  we  may  say,  co- 
incident with  the  opening  of  a  profitable  market  in  the  States 
for  Bermudian  products.  The  great  Hamilton  Hotel  was 
erected  in  1852,  and  with  that  as  a  landmark  we  may  trace  the 
extension  of  tourist  travel  thitherward.  And  it  may  be  re- 
marked, in  passing,  that  though  it  has  vastly  and  continuously 
increased  from  year  to  year  and  decade  to  decade,  the  arms 
of  the  hospitable  'Mudians  have  always  been  open  to  receive 
the  health  and  scenery  seekers  from  the  frozen  North.  They 
have  ever  since  revelled  in  unwonted  luxuries,  brought  to 
their  shores  by  sybaritic  exotics  from  the  northern  regions, 
Vvhich  fact  has  reconciled  them  to  the  invasion. 

The  Bermudas  had  received  many  an  immigrant  with  a 
welcome,  but  it  is  doubtful  if  they  altogether  approved  of 
the  sending  thither  of  the  exiled  Boers  in  1901.  The  first 
shipments  arrived  the  last  of  June  that  year  and  were  dis- 
posed on  various  islands  in  Great  Sound,  as  Darrell's, 
Morgan's,  and  Tucker's,  where,  to  the  number  of  4,000, 
toward  the  last,  they  encamped  until  the  close  of  the  war. 
They  had  literally  been  scattered  to  the  ends  of  the  earth — 
in  Ceylon,  St.  Helena,  and  the  Bermudas — but  they  probably 
received  no  better  treatment  anywhere  than  in  the  last-named 
islands. 

Next  to  the  laying  of  the  submarine  cable,  in  1890,  prob- 
ably no  event  so  moved  the  Bermudians  as  the  arrival  of  the 
great  floating  dock,  the  second  of  its  kind,  and  both 
1902  the  largest  in  the  world,  in  early  summer  of  1902. 
It  proved  to  them  that  the  home  government  had  no 
intention  of  abandoning  the  islands  as  a  naval  base,  what- 
ever else  might  happen,  and  there  was  commensurate 
rejoicing. 

An  event  scarcely  less  important  was  the  arrival  of  the 
big  twin-screw  steamer  of  the  Quebec  Line,  the  5,500-ton 
Bermudian,  which  now  performs  the  ferriage  from  New  York 
in  two  days'  time.  During  more  than  thirty  years  the 
owners  of  this  line  have  maintained  connection  between  New 


44  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST   IN-DIES 

York  and  the  Bermudas,  and  (as  the  writer  can  attest  from 
an  experience  measuring  over  nearly  that  entire  period) 
they  have  constantly  increased  and  improved  their  ships  and 
service. 
There  is  no  doubt  as  to  the  future  of  the  Bermudas,  es- 
pecially since  the  more  liberal  policy  of  the  British  Govern- 
ment has  now  removed  disabilities  from  the  acquiring  of 
realty  by  foreigners.  They  will  doubtless  enjoy  a  success 
beyond  precedent ;  for,  as  their  destiny  is  fixed  as  an  outpost 
of  England's  naval  power  in  the  Atlantic,  also  by  birthright 
they  enjoy  a  climate  -and  attractions  which  only  need  be 
known  to  be  sought  out  by  tourists  in  augmented  numbers. 


THE  BAHAMAS 

Nearest  Tropical  Neighbours.  Drop  a  plumb  line  due 
south  from  New  York  and  about  a  thousand  miles  distant  it 
bisects  the  Bahamas  archipelago,  the  islands  composing  which 
may  be  called  our  nearest  tropical  neighbours,  since  they  are 
separated  from  Florida  only  by  a  narrow  strait.  Beginning 
with  the  Great  Bahama,  off  Jupiter,  on  the  Florida  coast,  they 
extend  southeasterly  700  miles  and  more,  ending  in  the  isle 
of  Grand  Turk,  north  of  Santo  Domingo.  Reefs  and  shoals 
extend  this  chain  well  toward  the  latter  island,  thus  forming 
a  barrier  between  the  Atlantic  Ocean  and  the  Caribbean  Sea, 
well  within  which  lies  the  great  island  of  Cuba.  Of  the 
3,000  islands,  islets  and  cays  composing  the  Bahamas,  com- 
paratively few  are  populated,  or  even  large  enough  to  live 
on ;  but  some  of  these  are  extremely  attractive  as  places  of 
residence,  possessing  an  equable  climate  of  70°  to  80°  and 
numerous  attractions  as  resorts  for  the  winter  season.  Coral 
islands,  all  of  them,  they  possess  the  same  formation  through- 
out the  entire  chain,  with  a  thin  but  fertile  soil  covering  shell- 
rock  hardened  into  limestone,  and  supporting  a  semi-tropical 
vegetation. 

Though  the  first  discovered  of  the  West  Indies,  they  were 
among  the  last,  with  a  few  exceptions,  to  become  permanently 
settled,  and  even  to-day  little  is  known  of  the  more  remote 
islands,  since  very  few  of  them  are  reached  by  steamers, 
connection  between  the  northern  and  southern  being  kept  up 
by  sailing  vessels  only.  As  they  are  almost  uniformly  level, 
the  highest  elevation  not  exceeding  300  feet,  they  do  not  dis- 
play that  varied  vegetation  to  be  seen  in  the  Greater  and 
Lesser  Antilles,  where  the  mountain-sides  are  clothed  with 
extensive  tropical  forests.  Still,  the  Bahaman  flora  embraces 
more  than  one  hundred  native  flowers  and  a  variety  of  woods 
useful  I'n  the  arts  and  materia  medica,  besides  many  delicious 
fruits  known  to  dwellers  in  the  tropic  zone.  The. total  area 
of  the  Bahamas  exceeds  5.700  miles,  but  the  inhabited  area, 
as  already  mentioned,  is  restricted. 


46  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST  INDIES 

The  chief  islands  are  New  Providence,  Cat,  Ahaco,  Grand 
Bahama,  Long,  Eleuthera,  Exuma,  Mayagiiana,  Harbour, 
Great  Inagiia,  Andros,  IVatlings,  Rum  Cay,  Long  Cay, 
Ragged,  Grand  Turk,  and  the  Biminis.  The  total  population 
(1905)  was  58,175,  of  which  number  relatively  few  are  white. 
The  present  inhabitants  of  the  Bahamas,  like  their  prede- 
cessors, the  first  settlers,  derive  their  living  mainly  from 
the  sea ;  but  not  from  wrecking  and  privateering,  as  in  the 
olden  times.  The  chief  exports  are  sponges  and  turtles,  to 
the  amount  (1905)  of  about  $1,000,000.  Next  in  importance 
ranks  the  newly  introduced  fibre  industry  (sisal  hemp), 
$200,000;  followed  by  tropical  fruits  (the  Bahamas  pine- 
apples being  celebrated),  bananas  and  cocoanuts.  Nearly  all 
other  cultivations  having  failed,  the  hopes  of  the  Bahamas 
are  centred  upon  the  hemp  fibre,  the  land  devoted  to  the 
plant  from  which  it  is  derived  amounting  to  more  than 
20,000  acres  in  1905.  But  the  principal  industry  of  the 
Bahamas  has  become,  of  late,  the  exploitation  of  the  winter 
visitor,  in  whose  advent  the  islanders  behold  their  bow  of 
promise. 

The  total  revenues  of  the  islands  in  1905  amounted  to  about 
$390,000,  the  expenditures  to  $360,000.  This  would  have  left 
a  hopeful  margin  of  profit ;  but  the  public  debt  totals  more 
than  half  a  million  dollars,  for  the  colonial  system  of  gov- 
ernment is  expensive.  The  governor  receives  $10,000 ;  the 
colonial  secretary,  $3,000;  the  chief  justice,  $5,000;  the  re- 
ceiver-general, surveyor-general,  provost-marshal,  and  two 
circuit  magistrates,  $2,500  each;  the  inspector  of  imperial 
lighthouses,  $4,000 ;  the  attorney-general,  $2,000,  etc.  The 
exports  of  1905  amounted  to  $1,115,000;  the  imports  to 
$1,500,000.  The  government  of  the  Bahamas  is  vested  in  an 
executive  head,  the  Governor,  sent  from  England,  assisted  by 
an  Executive  Council  of  nine  members,  a  Legislative  Council 
of  nine  members,  and  a  Representative  Assembly  of  twenty- 
nine  members.  The  distance  from  England  to  Nassau,  the 
capital,  is  4,000  miles.  There  are  no  direct  lines  of  steamers, 
and  time  in  transit  from  the  "mother  country"  is  estimated 
at  fourteen  days. 

Nassau,  the  Capital.  Nassau,  the  capital  and  only  city 
of  the  Bahamas,   is,   to  all  intents  and  purposes,  the  island 


THE  BAHAMAS  47 

of  New  Providence,  on  which  it  is  situated.  It  is  145  miles 
distant  from  Miami,  in  Florida  (with  which  it  is  connected 
by  a  direct  steam  line  in  winter),  and  960  miles  from  New 
York.  Although  the  capital  of  a  British  colony,  Nassau  has 
been  dependent  for  its  very  existence  upon  its  contiguity  to 
and  connections  with  the  Atlantic  ports  of  the  American 
mainland,  and  upon  American  enterprise  and  capital  for  its 
development.  Nassau  is  not  only  the  island  of  New  Provi- 
dence, but  to  most  of  its  visitors  it  is  also  the  Bahamas,  for 
few  penetrate  farther  than  this  delightful  island-city  sand- 
wiched in  between  the  cays  and  reefs  that  defend  it  from 
the  ocean.  The  resident  population  of  Nassau  is  about  one- 
fourth  the  total  of  the  chain,  and  of  this,  again,  about  one- 
fifth  are  white;  but  in  winter  it  is  augmented  by  thousands 
of  tourists,  who  fill  its  great  hotels  and  boarding-houses  to 
overflowing. 

Miami  to  Nassau.  Until  the  completion  of  the  great 
East  Coast  Railway  of  Florida  to  Key  West,  by  which  the 
city  of  Havana  was  brought  within  100  miles  of  land  travel 
in  the  United  States,  Nassau  was  the  nearest  of  the  tropical 
resorts ;  and  even  now  it  is  but  a  few  hours'  voyaging,  an 
over-night  run,  from  Miami.  Leaving  the  latter  port  at 
three  in  the  afternoon,  next  morning  at  daybreak  the  island 
of  New  Providence  is  in  sight,  and  a  landing  is  made  in  time 
for  breakfast.  The  harbour  of  Nassau  is  about  a  mile  long 
by  half  a  mile  wide,  with  a  narrow  entrance,  between  the 
reefs,  and  defended  from  the  ocean  by  Hog  Island,  which 
is  at  the  left  as  the  steamer  bears  up  for  the  city.  This 
harbour  is  too  shallow  to  permit  of  large  steamers  entering, 
but  the  small  boat  from  Miami  has  no  difficulty  in  approach- 
ing the  w^harf,  where  the  customs  formalities  are  soon  over, 
and  the  visitor  is  at  liberty  to  roam  about  the  place  wherever 
he  wishes  to  go. 

The  city  is  w^ell  set  upon  its  coral  strand,  with  white  walls 
gleaming  among  towering  cocoanuts  and  silk-cottons,  and 
several  grand  structures,  like  the  Governor's  House,  the 
Victoria  and  the  Colonial  hotels,  conspicuous  above  all  the 
others.  The  sky  is  blue,  the  water  likewise;  and  that  the 
sun  is  shining  goes  without  the  saying,  on  a  winter's  day  in 
Nassau.     Perpetual  sunshine  and  continuous  good  weather 


48  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST   INDIES 

greet  the  winter  visitor  to  the  Bahamas,  and  as  the  tendency 
is  always  to  exercise  out  of  doors,  one  cannot  fail  to  benefit 
bv  an  excursion  thither. 

Good  roads  traverse  the  island  in  every  direction,  almost 
surrounding  it,  so  that  one  may  ride  or  walk  miles  at  a 
stretch,  following  the  longer  axis  of  New  Providence,  which 
is  about  20  miles  in  length  by  7  in  extreme  breadth.  There 
is  little  variety  to  the  scenery  outside  the  town  or  city,  but 
an  interesting  wilderness  lies  beyond  the  ken  of  those  who 
remain  at  the  hotels — a  waste  of  pitch-pine  forest  intergrown 
with  scrub  palmetto  and  dotted  with  shallow  lakes.  The 
Blue  Hills  lie  back  of  the  city  (which  faces  the  harbour, 
north)  and  attain  a  height  of  120  feet.  Beyond  this  range, 
which  is  6  or  7  miles  in  length,  is  Lake  Killaniey,  a  body 
of  brackish  water,  not  far  distant  from  Lake  Cunningham, 
similar  but  smaller,  on  both  of  which  good  duck  shooting  is 
found  in  the  season.  Both  these  lakes  seem  to  have  an 
underground  connection  with  the  ocean,  as  they  rise  and  fall 
with  the  tide.  In  a  spur  of  the  range  that  divides  the  lakes 
some  caverns  may  be  seen,  which  were  once  the  homes  of 
aborigines,  relics  of  whom  are  now  and  then  found  in  the 
island.  These  caves  also  served,  it  is  said,  as  retreats  for  the 
pirates  and  buccaneers,  with  which  the  chain  was  at  one  time 
infested.  These  natural  formations,  peculiar  to  a  coral-rock 
or  limestone  country,  are  situated  some  seven  miles  from 
town  and  may  be  reached  by  carriage. 

It  cannot  be  said  of  the  scenery  of  New  Providence  that  it 
is  either  picturesque  or  inviting,  for  there  is  little  tropical 
vegetation  to  conceal  the  rocky  surface  of  the  miscalled 
"soil";  but,  like  the  Bermudas,  the  island  depends  for  its 
reputation  upon  its  balmy  climate  and  the  sea  surrounding 
its  shores.  Its  roads,  like  those  of  the  Bermudas,  cannot  be 
other  than  excellent,  because  they  are  cut  from  the  coral 
rock,  and  are  always  clean,  smooth  and  hard.  So  far  as  they 
extend,  they  afford  fine  speedways  for  the  cycler,  but  are 
hardly  long  enough  for  the  autoist.  One  of  the  interesting 
drives  from  Nassau  is  that  to  the  negro  village  of  Grants- 
town,  or  to  Carmichael,  the  latter  six  miles  distant  and  near 
the  south  shore.  Here  we  see  the  black  man  living  as  his 
African  ancestor  lived  before  he  was  compelled  to  immigrate 


THE   BAHAMAS  49 

to  these  islands.  Primitive  African  huts  are  half  concealed 
amid  tropical  foliage  of  cocoa-palms,  etc. ;  but  they  seem 
to  be  occupied  rarely,  as  all  the  people  cook,  eat,  and  prob- 
ably sleep,  out  of  doors.  The  first-named  village  is  over  the 
hill  from  the  city,  and  is  not  too  far  for  a  morning  or  an 
evening  walk. 

The  "Lake  of  Fire."  Tradition  states  that  the  discoverer 
of  this  island  called  it  "Providence,"  in  commemoration  of 
a  miraculous  deliverance  from  death  by  drowning;  and  then 
"New"  Providence,  because  there  was  another  of  the  same 
name  in  New  England.  Whoever  he  was,  he  manifested 
great  powers  of  discrimination  in  settling  amid  so  many 
natural  attractions,  without  which  Nassau  would  be  but  an 
ordinary  fishing  and  sponging  village.  Whether  these  were 
discovered  before  the  island  became  known  as  a  resort  has 
not  been  decided ;  and  whether,  after  all,  the  famous  Lake 
of  Fire  is  a  natural  or  an  artificially  stimulated  phenomenon 
is  not  "down  in  the  books."  It  is  a  phenomenon — that  is 
admitted  by  all,  and  it  is  easily  reached  by  a  short  walk  or 
ride  from  town.  Waterloo  is  the  local  name  of  it,  but 
neither  Bonaparte  nor  Wellington  was  ever  here  to  view  it ; 
nor,  indeed,  w-as  either  great  man  within  the  confines  of 
America,  much  less  of  the  Bahamas.  The  Waterloo  "Lake 
of  Fire"  is  an  artificial  pond  cut  out  of  the  coral  rock,  which 
was  made  for  use  as  a  "turtle  crawl."  and  is  about  300  feet 
wide  by  900  or  1,000  feet  long.  It  is  connected  with  the 
sea  by  a  small  canal,  the  inflow  being  regulated  by  a  gate; 
but  the  nature  of  the  water  seems  to  be  the  same,  whether 
recently  admitted  or  long  retained  in  the  pond.  It  is  a  phos- 
phorescent lake,  a  bright  and  shining  body  of  water,  what- 
ever be  the  cause,  whether  the  tide  be  high  or  low;  but,  unlike 
the  sun,  it  "shines  for  all"  only  at  night,  when  it  is  at  its 
best.  The  darker  the  night,  the  more  brilliant  the  phos- 
phorescent flame  that  envelops  the  oars  of  one's  boat,  spouts 
out  in  spray  from  the  bows,  and  clothes  the  naked  negro  boys, 
who  swim  alongside,  as  well  as  the  fish,  which  dart  away 
by  hundreds  with  fiery  trails  in  their  wake.  Coarse  print 
may  be  read  by  this  weird  light,  and  the  black  boys  swimming 
in  the  water  remind  one  of  the  fabled  "Dorado,"  or  Gilded 
King — until  they  emerge  from  the  phosphorescent  element 


50  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST   INDIES 

and  remind  the  visitor  that  the  charge  for  their  evolutions 
is  a  sixpence  each  ! 

Arrangements  for  visiting  Waterloo  may  be  made  at  hotel 
or  boarding-house — wherever  one  be  staying — and  parties  are 
always  ready  to  start  almost  at  a  moment's  notice.  A  car- 
riage for  the  trip  costs  $1.25;  but  as  the  distance  is  short,  it 
is  not  necessary. 

The  Sea  Gardens.  In  common  with  the  Bermudas, 
the  Bahamas  can  show  a  gorgeous  display  of  sea-plants,  while 
its  fishes  rival  the*  hues  of  the  rainbow  in  colour,  its  shells 
the  tropica]  flowers  in  their  tints.  The  lower  islands  furnish 
the  beautiful  king  and  queen  conchs,  and  the  rare  and 
precious  pink  pearls  are  obtained  there,  while  the  waters  sur- 
rounding all  are  filled  with  veritable  "wonders  of  the  deep." 
One  need  not  go  far  to  view  the  choicest  of  Neptune's  treas- 
ures, for  the  Sea  Gardens,  as  they  are  called,  lie  within 
five  miles  of  town,  and  may  be  reached  by  an  excursion  in  a 
launch  or  row-boat.  The  water  is  smooth  all  the  way,  and 
however  one  goes,  a  transfer  should  be  made  to  the  .glass- 
bottomed  boats  made  especially  for  viewing  the  treasures 
submarine.  They  are  better  than  mere  water-glasses,  as  a 
larger  field  of  view  is  offered,  and  the  ^growing  plants  and 
swimming  fishes  can  be  studied,  together  with  their  environ- 
ment. And  what  wonders  are  revealed,  as  the  boat  slowly 
drifts  over  white-sanded  gardens,  with  huge  sponges  and 
tinted  corals,  among  which  swim  goggle-eyed  fish,  with  wav- 
ing fins  and  wiggling  tails !  The  attitude  of  the  observers 
in  the  glass-bottomed  boat,  on  their  knees,  with  eyes  intently 
fastened  upon  the  scenes  below,  is  not  the  most  dignified 
imaginable;  but  nobody  takes  notice  of  this,  for  all  are 
wrapped  in  wonder.  They  seem  to  be  drifting  above  a 
veritable  jungle  of  tropical  plants,  and  the  currents  sweeping 
in  from  the  sea  give  the  effect  of  a  strong  wind  blowing, 
causing  the  sea-trees  and  shrubs  to  sway  and  nod.  The 
bright-hued  fish,  swimming  through  this  tropical  forest,  ap- 
peared like  birds  with  coats  of  orange  and  crimson,  azure 
and  emerald.  They  rival  the  flov^^ers  in  their  multiplicity  of 
colours;  and  the  flowers  of  Nassau  comprise  roses  and 
geraniums,  begonias,  oleanders,  cannas,  lilies,  poinsettias, 
moon-flowers,  night-blooming  cereus,  and  a  hundred  other 


THE   BAHAMAS  51 

species,  all  which  bloom  at  any  time  of  the  year  in  open  air. 
A  steam  launch  leaves  the  Hotel  Colonial  landing  daily  dur- 
ing the  winter  season  at  10  a.m.  and  3  p.m.,  for  the  Sea 
Gardens,  while  sail-boats  make  the  trip  at  all  hours  when 
weather  permits. 

Surf  Bathing,  Hog  Island.  Nassau  faces  northward, 
toward  the  landlocked  harbour  that  separates  it  from  Hog 
Island,  excursions  to  which  cost  only  twenty-five  cents.  In 
former  times  Hog  Island  was  the  resort  of  pirates  and  wreck- 
ers, and  under  its  lee,  tradition  says,  the  redoubtable  "Black- 
beard"  "played  hell''  with  his  sailormen  by  setting  fire  to  a 
ton  of  brimstone  in  his  ship's  hold  and  compelling  them  to 
inhale  the  fumes.  The  piracies  committed  on  Hog  Island 
now  are  quite  petty,  as  compared  with  those  of  the  olden 
time ;  though  it  is  hardly  explicable  why  one  should  be 
charged  another  "quarter"  for  landing  upon  an  island  which 
would  be  absolutely  unattractive  but  for  one  unique  feature. 
The  price  of  admission  carries  with  it  the  freedom  of  the 
place,  not  only  to  bathe  on  the  beach,  but  to  devour  all  the 
fruit  within  reach.  In  order  that  all  shall  be  served  alike, 
the  proprietor  of  the  place  has  piles  of  fruit  heaped  on  plat- 
ters placed  on  rustic  tables,  such  as  oranges  and  pineapples, 
peeled  and  with  sticks  inserted  as  handles,  ready  for  devour- 
ing. It  is  the  only  proper  way  to  eat  such  fruit  as  these,  the 
Bahamans  aver,  and  the  proper  time  is  immediately  after  the 
bath,  such  as  Hog  Island  furnishes,  with  its  fine  beach  and 
rolling  surf.  For  those  who  do  not  care  to  expose  them- 
selves to  the  heat  and  glaring  sun,  which  must  be  endured 
by  visitors  to  the  beach,  there  is  the  big  swimming-pool  of  the 
Colonial  Hotel,  which  is  a  favourite  with  many. 

Nassau  at  Close  View.  The  city  is  built  upon  a  slope 
which  attains  a  height  of  nearly  100  feet,  and  looks  to  the 
north,  whence  comes  the  winter  patronage  that  keeps  dull 
care  and  dire  poverty  from  the  homes  of  its  residents.  These 
homes  are  prettily  set,  each  one  in  its  own  garden,  with  walls 
surrounding,  over  which  hang  cocoa-palms  and  bananas, 
while  inside  bright  flowers  may  be  found  at  all  times.  The 
houses,  of  course,  are  chimneyless,  and  hence  to  Northern  eyes 
may  seem  incomplete ;  nor  are  they  attractive  as  to  archi- 
tecture, having  been  built  for  comfort  rather  than  for  show. 


52  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST   INDIES 

Bay  Street  runs  along  shore  within  the  harbour,  and  is  the 
business  thoroughfare,  where,  and  at  the  wharves,  may  be 
seen  the  "marine  curiosities"  for  which  the  island  is  so  cele- 
brated— the  sponges,  conch  shells,  great  green  turtles,  corals, 
shell-work,  etc.  The  hill  on  which  Nassau  sits,  or  rather 
reclines,  is  about  3  miles  long,  and  at  either  end  is  a  fort, 
with  another  on  the  summit.  Various  lateral  streets  lead  up 
the  hill  from  Bay,  but  hardly  one  deserves  a  description  in 
detail.  The  iish-market  and  the  sponge  exchange  are  features 
peculiar  to  the  place,  and  should  be  visited.  The  grand  old 
ceiba  or  silk-cotton  tree  in  Court  Square,  with  its  vast  bulk 
and  buttressed  trunk,  will  claim  the  reverence  of  every 
passerby,  and  cannot  be  overlooked. 

The  public  library  building,  an  octagonal  structure,  contain- 
ing 15,000  volumes,  was  formerly  a  prison ;  but  since  the  days 
of  pirates  and  blockade-runners  a  more  modern  building  has 
been  erected  for  the  retention  of  law-breakers.  The  Bahamans 
are  law  abiding,  as  a  rule,  and  the  jail  is  rarely  filled,  if  ever. 
As  the  hardened  criminals  are  put  to  breaking  stone  upon 
the  roads,  this  spectacle  of  convicts  sitting  on  stone-heaps  in 
the  glare  of  a  tropical  sun  has  a  salutary  and  deterrent  effect. 

The  public  buildings  of  Nassau  occupy  three  sides  of  a 
square  near  the  centre  of  the  city,  and  cannot  be  mistaken. 
They  contain  the  post-office,  chief  justice's  office,  court  room, 
council  chamber,  treasury,  custom  house,  etc.  The  western 
wing  of  the  group  is  occupied  by  the  House  of  Assembly, 
which  can  boast  portraits  on  its  walls  of  British  sovereigns 
as  far  back  as  George  III.  and  possession  of  a  mace  which 
was  used  in  South  Carolina  before  the  Revolution.  It  was 
brought  here  by  Loyalists,  many  of  whom  composed  the  best 
part  of  the  Bahamas'  population,  especially  in  the  "out 
islands,"  where  they  settled  as  planters.  All  the  public 
officials  have  their  offices  in  these  buildings,  but  the  residence 
of  the  chief  executive  is  at  Government  House,  on  Mount 
Fitzwilliam.  It  stands  in  the  centre  of  grounds  about  18  acres 
in  extent,  and  at  the  head  of  George  Street,  from  which  it  is 
reached  by  a  flight  of  steps.  Carriage  drives  approach  Gov- 
ernment House  from  two  sides,  and  when  it  is  reached  a 
magnificent  view  is  opened  of  the  town  and  harbour.  The 
approach  to  the  house  is  guarded  by  a  large  statue  of  Colum- 


THE  BAHAMAS  53 

bus,  which,  though  said  to  have  been  modelled  after  sug- 
gestions by  Washington  Irving,  his  renowned  biographer,  has 
more  the  appearance  of  a  buccaneer  than  a  world-famous 
discoverer.  It  is,  however,  regarded  with  reverence  by  the 
"darky''  population,  who  date  the  landing  of  Columbus  in  the 
Bahamas  from  the  time  the  big  boxes  came  with  the  marbles 
in  them,  and  not  from  1492 ! 

Standing  above  the  statue  of  Columbus,  with  his  marble 
toga  and  slouched  hat  as  the  foreground  of  the  picture,  we 
have  an  extensive  view  of  town  and  harbour  before  us. 
Looking  down  George  Street,  we  have,  on  the  right,  the 
cathedral,  at  the  corner  of  King  Street ;  farther  down,  at  the 
corner  of  Bay,  is  the  old  Vendue  House,  an  historic  land- 
mark, to  the  right  of  which  is  the  public  market,  with  the 
public  wharf  in  front  of  both.  The  streets  and  alleys  all 
bear  names  suggestive  of  the  times  when  the  royal  Georges 
ruled  in  England,  as  King,  Queen,  Charlotte,  Cumberland, 
Frederick,  Crozun  Alley,  Duke,  Princes,  etc.  Four  blocks  east 
of  Government  House  stands  the  Royal  Victoria  Hotel,  with 
its  fine  grounds,  lying  between  East  and  Parliament  streets; 
north  of  it,  across  Shirley  Street,  is  the  old  jail,  now  the 
library,  directly  in  line  with  which  are  the  public  buildings, 
on  three  sides  of  the  square  containing  the  big  ceiba  tree.  On 
Bay  Street,  west  of  Cumberland,  are  the  soldiers'  barracks 
and  old  ordnance  yard,  with  the  Parade  Ground  to  the 
south,  on  ^Marlborough  Street. 

Old  Fort  Fincastle.  Crowning  the  summit  of  the  hill 
back  of  the  city,  and  lying  to  the  east  of  the  Royal  Victoria 
Hotel,  is  a  stone  fort  very  much  resembling  a  steamboat  of 
the  paddle-wheel  type.  This  is  Fort  Fincastle,  which  was 
erected  in  1789  by  Lord  Dunmore.  and  is  now  used  as  a  sig- 
nal-station, for  the  view  from  its  parapets  commands  the 
harbour  and  the  sea  beyond  the  entrance.  While  Fort  Fin- 
castle is  particularly  worth  a  visit  for  its  view,  the  usual 
approach  to  it  is  one  of  the  peculiar  features  of  this  island, 
for  it  is  by  a  passageway  cut  from  the  solid  rock,  70  feet 
in  depth  by  about  30  in  width.  It  was  probably  made  in 
order  to  afiford  the  garrison  of  the  fort  a  masked  way  of 
retreat  to  shore  in  case  of  sudden  attack.  Though  known 
as  the  "Queen's  Staircase,"  no  queen  of  England  ever  saw 


54  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST   INDIES 

it;  but  this  fact  does  not  detract  from  its  interest  to 
visitors. 

Forts  Charlotte  and  Montague.  Three  fortifications 
were  constructed  in  the  eighteenth  century  for  the  de- 
fence of  Nassau,  the  oldest  of  the  trio  being  Fort  Mon- 
tague, date  1741,  which  guards  the  eastern  end  of  the 
hill.  The  other  is  Fort  Charlotte,  two  miles  from  Gov- 
ernment House,  at  the  western  end  of  the  ridge,  which  was 
erected  in  1788  by  the  same  Lord  Dunmore  who  caused  the 
construction  of  quaint  old  Fincastle.  Charlotte  not  only  com- 
mands a  magnificent  view  of  the  island  and  its  near-by  sisters, 
the  harbour,  etc.,  but  contains  subterranean  dungeons,  which 
are  said  to  be  connected  by  an  underground  passage  with 
Government  House.  Access  to  the  fort  is  over  a  drawbridge 
spanning  a  dry  moat.  On  the  shore  below  is  a  water  battery, 
which  commands  the  main,  or  western,  entrance  to  the  har- 
bour, and  between  the  two  a  fine  esplanade.  Farther  west- 
ward, along  shore,  is  the  race  course,  about  4  miles  from 
town ;  the  caves,  7  miles ;  Ganibier  Village,  10  miles ;  and 
Charlotteville,  or  Old  Fort,  12  miles. 

The  grounds  appertaining  to  Fort  Charlotte  are  now  used 
by  the  Florida  East  Coast  Hotel  Company  for  golf,  where 
there  is  "a  course  unsurpassed  in  the  South,"  the  links  being 
nine  holes  of  2,300  yards.  A  club  house  with  lockers  for 
guests  is  provided,  where  tea  and  light  refreshments  are 
served.  Caddies  may  be  obtained  of  the  Green  Keeper,  while 
membership  tickets,  weekly,  monthly,  or  for  the  season,  with 
a  full  line  of  clubs  and  balls,  may  be  secured  at  the  Colonial 
News  Room.  The  Nassau  Club  is  regularly  constituted,  with 
a  local  president  and  Greens  Committee  in  authority.  This 
glimpse  of  the  social  life  of  Nassau  might  lead  us  to  digress 
for  the  moment ;  but  we  will  return  to  that  topic  later. 

With  Fort  Charlotte  guarding  Nassau  on  the  west,  Fin- 
castle its  central  portion,  and  Fort  Montague  its  eastern  ex- 
tremity, the  town  should  have  proved  impregnable  to  assault 
in  the  days  when  England  was  at  war  with  her  colonies ;  but 
it  is  an  historical  fact  that  these  fortifications  thrice  changed 
ownership  in  the  eighteenth  century.  Fort  Montague  was 
captured  by  Commodore  Hopkins,  of  the  then  embryonic 
American  navy,  in  1776;  by  Spaniards  in  1781 ;  and  again  by 


■H\l 


THE  BAHAMAS  55 

American  Loyalists  in  1783.  The  feat-of-arms  and  strategy 
by  which  gallant  Colonel  Devaux,  a  loyal  Carolinian,  gained 
possession  of  the  fort,  then  held  by  the  Spaniards,  deserves 
more  than  passing  mention.  His  force  was  far  inferior  to 
that  of  the  Spaniards,  but  by  sending  his  boats  ashore  filled 
with  soldiers,  who,  instead  of  landing,  lay  down  and  were 
rowed  back  again  to  the  brigantines,  only  to  be  returned  to 
land  over  and  over  again,  the  wily  colonel  so  deceived  the 
enemy  that  they  first  parleyed,  then  surrendered.  They  only 
discovered  their  mistake  after  the  fortress  was  in  possession 
of  the  Americans,  and  of  course  too  late,  for  their  arms  had 
been  given  up  and  they  were  prisoners.  Commodore  Hop- 
kins had  abandoned  the  island  as  untenable,  having  been 
obliged  to  return  to  New  England ;  but  by  this  second  cap- 
ture it  reverted  to  the  British,  in  whose  possession  it  was 
confirmed  by  the  subsequent  treaty  of  peace. 

Hotels  and  Boarding-Houses.  The  prosperity  which 
came  to  the  Northern  United  States  after  the  Civil  War 
was  shared  to  a  great  extent  by  those  Southern  States  which 
possessed  a  desirable  winter  climate,  and  Florida  especially 
became  renowned  as  a  resort.  Increasingly,  year  by  year, 
that  State  was  visited  by  those  desirous  of  escaping  the 
rigours  of  a  Northern  winter,  until  the  number  reached  into 
the  hundreds  of  thousands.  At  first  tourists  were  con- 
tented with  the  St.  John's,  St.  Augustine,  and  contiguous 
sections ;  but  with  the  building  of  the  great  East  Coast  Rail- 
way, which,  beginning  at  Jacksonville,  reached  seaward  and 
southward,  annually  increasing  its  length,  until  finally  it  con- 
fronted the  Florida  Keys  and  the  Everglades,  new  and  en- 
trancing regions  were  opened  for  them.  In  the  wake  of 
the  railroad  followed  princely  hotels,  such  as  the  Ponce  de 
Leon  at  St.  Augustine,  capacity  500;  the  Alcazar,  600;  the 
Ormond  on  the  Halifax,  600;  the  Breakers,  Palm-Beach-by- 
the-Sea,  600;  the  Royal  Ponciana,  Lake  Worth,  1.500;  the 
Royal  Palm,  at  Miami,  500;  and  finally,  the  Colonial,  at 
Nassau,  capacity  700. 

During  the  "flush  times"  of  blockade-running,  in  order  that 
their  w^ealthy  Southern  visitors  might  be  properly  entertained, 
it  is  said,  the  Bahama  lawmakers  enacted  that  the  Royal 
Victoria  Hotel  should  be  built,  and  it  was,  accordingly,  at 


56  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST   INDIES 

a  cost  of  $130,000.  It  was  then  the  grandest  structure  on 
the  island,  and,  of  course,  in  all  the  Bahamas ;  built  of  native 
limestone,  four  stories  high,  and  with  three  piazzas  afford- 
ing a  promenade  of  1,000  feet.  It  was  built  upon  an  ele- 
vated site,  nearly  100  feet  above  the  bay,  and  surrounding  it 
is  a  beajjtiful  park-like  garden,  filled  with  fruits  and  flowers. 
This  hotel  and  its  annex  have  been  acquired  by  the  Florida 
East  Coast  system.  The  combined  capacity  of  the  trio  is 
1,100  guests:  Colonial,  700;  Royal  Victoria,  300;  and  the 
Annex,  100.  Their  rates  are:  Colonial,  $5  per  day  and  up; 
the  Royal  Victoria,  $4  and  up;  Victoria  Annex  (with  rooms 
only),  $3  and  up.    Special  terms  by  the  week  and  season. 

The  Clifton  House,  on  West  Bay  Street,  is  $2.50  per  day, 
with  special  terms  by  the  week ;  the  Fredensborg,  ten  rooms, 
$2  per  day,  $12  per  week;  INIarine  Villa,  East  Bay  Street, 
$2.50;  the  Premier,  Frederick  Street,  $10  to  $15  per  week; 
the  Mansion  House,  King  and  George  streets,  $8  to  $12  per 
week;  Globe  House,  Market  and  King,  $1.50  to  $2  per  day; 
Barrett  House,  East  Bay  Street,  $2  per  day,  special  for 
month  or  season  ;  Gaydene,  East  Bay,  rooms  only,  $3  to  $4 
per  week ;  Sandringham,  Shirley  Street,  $2  per  day,  special 
for  season ;  Sea  View,  East  Bay,  $2.50  per  day ;  Central 
House,  Shirley  Street,  meals  $1.25  per  day,  rooms  according 
to  location;  Seaside,  Bay  Street  and  Victoria  Avenue,  rooms 
and  board,  $10  per  week;  Palm  Villa,  East  Bay,  rooms  $6, 
no  meals ;  Rosecote,  table  board,  no  rooms,  $10  per  week. 

For  a  small  place,  Nassau  is  well  supplied  with  hotels  and 
hostelries,  some  of  which  stand  within  their  own  grounds, 
are  embowered  in  semi-tropical  foliage,  and  have  broad  and 
cool  verandas.  There  are  also  several  pretty  cottages  and 
villas  for  hire  by  the  season,  furnished,  a  list  of  which 
can  be  obtained  of  the  steamship  agents. 

Social  life  here  is  similar  to  that  in  the  Bermudas,  with 
receptions  at  Government  House,  dances  and  other  functions 
at  the  Colonial  and  Royal  Victoria,  golf  at  Fort  Charlotte, 
teas  at  Fort  Montague,  and  lawn  tennis  everywhere.  The 
Nassau  Club,  on  Bay  Street,  receives  visitors  with  cre- 
dentials; the  public  library  in  the  octagonal  building  extends 
the  fullest  favours  to  visitors  for  fifty  cents  per  month,  which 
includes  admission  to  its  reading-room,  with  use  of  periodicals. 


THE   BAHAMAS  57 

Nassau  and  the  Bahamas  still  cling  to  the  archaic  currency 
of  their  ancestors,  and  it  is  necessary  for  the  visitor  to  re- 
member that  a  half-penny  is  i  cent,  a  penny  2  cents,  three- 
pence 6  cents,  sixpence  12  cents,  a  shilling  24  cents,  and 
a  florin  48  cents.  American  gold  is  always  current  and 
welcomed,  also  silver;  but  "coppers"  and  "nickels"  are  in- 
variably refused.  The  average  rate  of  exchange  is  two 
per  cent. 

Though  lagging  behind  in  the  matter  of  a  modern  currency, 
the  English  colonies  in  the  West  Indies  are  in  advance  of 
the  United  States  as  respects  their  postal  service,  for  while 
it  costs  by  parcel  post  12  cents  per  pound  (with  a  limit  of 
four  pounds)  in,  to  and  from  the  United  States,  to  or  from 
England  a  total  of  eleven  pounds  can  be  sent  at  an  expense 
of  only  75  cents !  The  postage  on  sealed  letters  (postal- 
union  rates)  is  5  cents  per  half  ounce;  post  cards,  2  cents; 
second-class  matter  same  as  in  the  United  States. 

A  telegraphic  cable  connects  with  the  United  States  and  all 
foreign  countries,  via  Jupiter,  coast  of  Florida,  and  American 
wires.  A  government  telephone  service  has  been  installed 
in  the  city  and  suburbs  of  Nassau. 

The  island  is  British,  one  hardly  needs  be  told,  and  when 
driving  one  must  turn  to  the  left,  as  in  the  Bermudas, 
Barbados,  Jamaica,  and  all  the  English  colonies. 

Carriage  Hire  and  Rates. 

Carriages,  with  more  than  four  seats,  extra  for  each 

seat $0 .  25 

Golf  links,  each  person 25 

Hotels,  from  steamer's  dock,  each  person 25 

Steamer's  dock,  from  hotels,  each  person 25 

South  West  Bay  and  return,  about  34  miles 7.00 

Adelaide  and  return,  about  26  miles 5.00 

Miller's  and  return,  about  22  miles 3 . 40 

South  Beach  and  return,  about  15  miles 2.50 

Carmichael  Village  and  return,  about  14  miles 2.50 

Caves  and  return,  via  Bay  Street,  about  16  miles 3.00 

Lake  Cunningham  and  return,  via   Bay   Street,   about 

12  miles 2.50 

Lake    Killarney    and    return,    via    Bay    Street,    about 

20  miles 3.50 

Fox  Hill  and  return,  via  Bay  Street,  about  12  miles.  ...  2.00 
Waterloo  Lake  and  return,  via  Bay  Street  or  Shirley 

Street,  night i .  25 


58  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST  INDIES 

Carriages  for  ordinarj^  drives,  first  or  part  of  hour.  ...     i.oo 

For   each    succeeding   hour 75 

Carriages  with  rubber  tires,  extra  per  hour 25 

Time  allowed  at  each  of  the  above-named  places,  fifteen 
minutes.  After  the  expiration  of  this  time  the  above  hourly 
rates  will  be  charged  for  additional  time  carriages  are  kept. 

DISTANCES  FROM  NASSAU  POST  OFFICE 

Miles 

To  Fort  IMontague 2j4 

To  Fox  Hill 5 

To  Swing  Gate sVs 

To  Carmichael    6^ 

To  Adelaide 12 

To  South  West  Bay  Landing 15 

To  Lake  Cunningham 5 

To  Lake   Killarney 8^ 

To  The  Caves 7^ 

To  Gambier 9^ 

To  Charlotteville  or  Old  Fort 11^ 

To  South  Side,  via  Blue  Hill  Road 6 

Communications — Foreign  and  Inter-Insular— New 
York  and  Nassau.  Two  routes  are  open  between  New 
York  and  Nassau,  one  all  sea,  the  other  land  and  sea.  The 
all-sea  route  has  been  longer  established  than  the  other. 
From  New  York  to  Nassau  is  960  miles,  in  almost  a  direct 
line  south,  with  a  slight  inclination  westerly;  the  time  of 
the  voyage  is  about  three  days,  and  after  Cape  Hatteras 
is  passed  it  is  usually  a  very  pleasant  one,  with  smooth 
seas  and  increasingly  enjoyable  weather. 

Fare,  first-class,  one  way  $40,  return  $60.  The  voyage 
may,  if  desired,  be  prolonged,  after  a  stay  at  Nassau,  to  the 
south  coast  of  Cuba.  Fare  to  Santiago  (from  Nassau),  one 
way  $25,    return  $40;    to   Cienfuegos,   $30.   and   $63   return. 

During  the  winter  season  the  Royal  Mail  Line,  Hamburg- 
American  and  Quebec  lines  all  extend  their  trips  to  Nassau, 
usually  from  the  Bermudas,  while  the  American  excursion 
managers,  the  well-known  Raymond  and  Whitcomb  Com- 
pany, conduct  several  excursions  thither. 

There  is  also  a  monthly  service,  by  the  Canadian  Line,  be- 
tween Montreal-Halifax  and  Nassau,  fare  $40.  Distance, 
Halifax-Nassau,  1,380  miles. 

If  one  would  avoid  the  long  sea  trip,   a  jjiost  delightful 


THE   BAHAMAS  59 

alternative  is  offered  by  rail  all  the  way  to  Jacksonville, 
Florida  (from  any  point  in  the  United  States),  thence  over 
the  Flagler  "East  Coast"  line  of  railway  to  ]Miami,  366  miles, 
where  a  steamer  is  taken  across  the  strait  to  Nassau.  In 
this  manner  one  may  reach  Nassau  within  little  more  than 
fifty  hours  from  New  York.  The  time  from  Jacksonville  to 
Miami,  according  to  regular  schedule,  is  under  twelve  hours, 
and  across  the  strait  fifteen  hours.  A  tri-weekly  steamer, 
elegantly  fitted  up,  and  with  accommodations  for  125  pas- 
sengers, leaves  Miami  at  3  p.m.,  arriving  at  Nassau  6.30  a.m., 
during  the  season,  from  the  first  week  in  January  to  the 
middle  of  April.  Returning,  it  leaves  Nassau  at  3  p.m., 
arriving  at  Miami  6.30  next  morning. 

Trips  to  the  "Out  Islands."  It  is  regrettable  that  the 
government  of  the  Bahamas  has  provided  no  reliable  means 
of  communication  between  Nassau,  the  capital  of  the  islands, 
and  the  other  members  of  the  chain;  but  such  is  the  lament- 
able fact.  Some  desultory  efforts  have  been  made  to  estab- 
lish an  inter-insular  steam  line,  but  hitherto  without  result, 
so  it  must  be  said  that  the  only  manner  of  reaching  the 
numerous  interesting  islands  is  by  sailing  vessel.  Even 
the  mails  are  transported  by  this  sort  of  craft,  and  the  sail- 
ings are  infrequent,  the  service  unreliable.  Boats  may  be 
obtained  in  any  number,  and  schooners  chartered  for  the 
various  isles,  at  from  $5  to  $10  per  diem ;  but  there  is  no 
direct  or  reliable  communication  (at  present)  with  the 
"out  islands,"  as  they  are  called.  They  are  indeed  "out 
islands"  in  every  sense  of  the  term,  being  not  only  outside 
the  regular  routes  of  travel,  but  actually  outside  the  world 
of  active  life  and  interests.  For  this  reason,  perhaps,  they 
are  all  the  more  interesting  to  the  adventurous  traveller, 
who,  seeking  new  scenes  and  experiences,  will  find  them 
veritably  terrce  incognitcc. 

Great  Bahama  and  Abacos.  The  nearest  large  island  of 
the  chain  to  the  United  States  is  Grand  Bahama,  which  lies 
directly  east  of  Jupiter,  coast  of  Florida.  It  contains  about 
275,000  acres,  partially  covered  with  fine  timber ;  its  creeks 
and  shores  abound  in  fish  and  turtle ;  but  it  has  no  good 
harbour.  Together  wnth  the  Great  and  Little  Abaco  (area 
496,000  square  acres,  population  about  4,000)  Grand  Bahama 


6o  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST   INDIES 

comprises  a  detached  group  of  islands  forming  the  extreme 
northwestern  portion  of  the  chain.  There  are  several  settle- 
ments on  the  Abacos,  as  Nezv  Plymouth,  Hopetcwn, 
Cherokee  Sound,  and  Marsh  Harbour,  the  port  of  entry  being 
Green  Turtle  Cay,  on  the  northeastern  shore  of  Abaco,  dis- 
tant from  Nassau  ii6  miles.  The  people  are  chiefly  engaged 
in  catching  fish  and  turtle,  with  which  the  surrounding 
waters  abound ;  but  one  of  the  most  important  industries  is 
that  of  growing  hemp,  or  sisal  fibre,  the  largest  plantation 
here  containing  140  acres,  with  more  than  100.000  plants. 
The  white  natives  are  of  Irish  and  American  ancestry,  the 
latter  descending  from  Loyalists  who  came  hither  after  the 
Revolution  and  were  rewarded  with  large  grants  of  land 
in  the  islands.  They  have  closely  intermarried,  are  mostly 
Wesleyans  or  Methodists,  and  have  the  reputation  of  being 
the  worst  wreckers  in  the  islands.  So  recently  as  January  i, 
1904,  an  American  bark  went  ashore  off  H ole-in-the-W all ,  at 
Abaco,  one  Sunday,  when  the  black  population  were  at  church. 
The  parson  lost  no  time  in  dismissing  his  congregation  on  re- 
ception of  the  news,  and  the  entire  body  hastened  to  the  shore. 
A  flotilla  of  small  boats  containing  300  negroes  surrounded 
the  vessel,  which  they  were  only  prevented  from  boarding 
by  an  ingenious  ruse  of  the  captain,  who  threw  over  silver 
coins  by  the  handful,  keeping  the  blacks  busy  diving  for 
them,  while  his  mate  and  crew  hastened  ashore  with  their 
nautical  instruments.  These  they  saved,  but  they  could  not 
prevent  the  wreckers  from  boarding  the  bark  eventually, 
which  they  completely  dismantled. 

Spongers,  wreckers,  fishermen,  and  turtlers,  as  they  are, 
the  Abaconians  have  also  a  reputation  as  boat  builders,  not 
only  supplying  Nassau  with  fish,  turtle,  and  sponges,  but 
with  the  stanchest  and  finest  craft  that  sail  Bahaman  waters. 
H  ole-in-the-W  all,  so  called  from  its  perforated  cliff,  lies 
directly  north  of  Nassau,  about  half  way  between  that  place 
and  Green  Turtle  Cay,  where  there  is  a  lighthouse. 

The  Biminis  and  the  "Fountain  of  Youth."  Near  the 
northwestern  edge  of  the  Great  Bahama  Bank,  easterly  from 
Miami,  and  only  one-third  the  distance  from  that  place  to 
Nassau,  lie  two  islands  bearing  an  historic  name.  These  are 
the  Biminis,  which,  when  Juan  Ponce  de  Leon  was  traversing 


THE  BAHAMAS  6i 

these  waters,  were  said  to  contain  that  wonderful  "Fountain 
of  Eternal  Youth"  oi  which  he  was  so  long  in  search.  With 
an  old  Indian  woman  from  Porto  Rico  as  pilot,  Ponce  de 
Leon  ranged  through  the  entire  chain  of  islands  in  his 
quest  for  the  fabled  fountain  in  1513.  He  did  not  succeed  in 
finding  it,  but  did  discover  the  "Land  of  Flowers,"  or  Florida, 
which  in  some  measure  compensated  him  for  his  failure  as 
to  the  well  spring  of  rejuvenescence.  "Bimini"  was  a  name 
applied  by  the  Indians  to  Florida,  and  thus  appears  on  the 
old  maps,  but  when  it  was  given  to  these  islands  is  unknown. 
A  sparse  population  occupies  North  Bimini,  which  contains 
about  1,900  acres;  while  South  Bimini,  separated  from  the 
other  by  a  narrow  channel,  is  uninhabited.  Two  small  settle- 
ments, Alicetozvn  and  Baileytozvn,  contain  the  major  portion 
of  the  people,  mostly  blacks,  to  the  number  of  about  700. 
They  do  a  little  wrecking  when  occasion  offers,  sponging, 
and  fishing ;  also  cultivate  sugar-cane,  corn,  and  cocoanuts. 
Thousands  of  cocoanut  trees  grow  here  in  groves,  formi''? 
a  distinctive  and  pleasing  feature  of  the  landscape. 

North  of  the  Biminis  lie  the  Great  and  Little  Isaacs  and 
south  of  them  Gun  Cay,  all  of  which  places  are  good  shoot- 
ing and  fishing  grounds.  Northwest  of  New  Providence, 
within  easy  sail,  are  the  Berry  Islands,  of  which  Great  Har- 
bour Cay  is  the  largest,  with  about  3.800  acres,  and  a  total 
population  in  the  group  of  less  than  200  people,  mostly 
negroes.  There  is  a  grove  of  cocoanuts  on  one  of  the  islets 
known  as  Fraccr's  Hog  Cay,  containing  upward  of  30.000  trees. 

Andros  Island.  Ninety  miles  in  length  and  20  to  40  in 
breadth,  it  is  the  largest  in  the  archipelago,  also  the  least 
known,  though  within  about  twenty  miles  of  New  Provi- 
dence. It  has  great  forests,  which  have  rarely  been  pene- 
trated by  white  men,  swamps,  creeks,  and  bayous  teeming 
with  wild  water-fowl,  such  as  ducks  and  flamingos,  and 
precious  woods,  as  mahogany,  cedar,  mastic,  ebony,  and 
logwood ;  but  its  resources  have  never  been  exploited. 
Though  about  500  square  miles  in  extent,  it  is  sparsely  pop- 
ulated, and  the  blacks,  from  their  long  seclusion,  it  is  said, 
have  reverted  to  the  original  type  as  found  in  Africa.  They 
number  about  3.500,  and  send  two  members  to  the  House  of 
Assembly  at  Nassau;  but  a  hundred  years  ago  the  inhab- 


62  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST   INDIES 

itants  were  nearly  as  numerous  as  now.  The  island  is  said 
to  be  the  only  one  in  the  Bahamas  containing  running 
streams  ;  its  soil  is  good,  though  comparatively  little  of  the 
surface  is  cleared,  and  produces  pineapples,  sugar-cane, 
oranges,  bananas,  and  cocoanuts.  Partially  surrounded  by  a 
great  barrier-reef  of  coral,  within  which  is  a  large  lagoon 
with  numerous  entrances,  a  yachting-ground  is  afforded  for 
yachts  of  shallow  draught  that  is  unsurpassed  in  these 
waters ;  but  there  is  no  good  harbour  at  which  ships  can 
anchor.  Vessels  of  less  than  5  feet  draught  may  find 
anchorage  on  the  east  shore,  off  Nicoll's  Town,  Fresh  Creek, 
Morgan's  Bluff,  Deep  Creek,  Boat  Harbour,  Long  Bay  Cay, 
South  Bight,  and  Goulding's  Cay.  The  wild  character  of 
Andros  may  be  inferred  from  the  fact  that  its  mangrove 
sw^amps  contain  colonies  of  beautiful  flamingos,  which  birds 
have  become  extinct  in  other  islands.  The  island  was  named 
after  Governor  Andros,  who  was  expelled  from  New  Eng- 
land in  1690. 
Eleuthera  and  "Glass  Window."  Perhaps  the  most  fas- 
cinating of  the  many  islands  within  easy  sailing  distance  of 
Nassau  is  Eleuthera,  which  lies  to  the  eastward,  and  pro- 
tects it  from  the  Atlantic  surges.  There  is  smooth  sailing 
all  the  way,  as  the  great  sound  is  almost  landlocked,  pro- 
tected by  this  natural  breakwater,  nearly  70  miles  in 
extent.  The  island  contains  about  105,000  acres  and  several 
settlements.  The  most  populous  of  these  is  Harbour  Island, 
wath  Dunmore  Town  (2,000  inhabitants),  said  to  be  next  to 
Nassau  in  the  size  of  its  population.  Harbour  Island  itself 
is  only  a  mile  and  a  half  in  extent,  and  is  so  named  from  its 
harbour,  which  is  spacious  and  safe,  but  available  only  for 
vessels  of  9  feet  draught  and  under.  Groves  of  cocoanut 
trees  embellish  the  town,  which  is  pleasantly  situated,  and 
on  the  seaward  side  of  the  island  is  a  beach  floor  composed 
of  pinkish  coral,  one  of  the  prettiest  spots  in  the  chain.  The 
Harbour  lies  at  Eleuthera's  northern  end,  and  it  is  but  a 
short  sail — 2  miles — across  to  the  main  island,  w-here  the 
residents  have  their  cocoanut  groves  and  provision  grounds, 
which  they  visit  every  morning  in  their  sail-boats,  some  200 
in  number,  returning  at  night.  The  shores  of  Eleuthera  are 
wind-  and  water-carved  into  strange  forms,  the  most  wonder- 


THE  BAHAMAS  63 

fill  being  the  great  limestone  arch  known  as  the  "Glass 
Jl'indow,"  85  feet  above  the  ocean,  upon  which  it  opens. 
Though  considered  perfectly  safe  to  visit,  it  was  at  one 
time,  in  1872,  suddenly  swept  by  a  tidal  wave,  which 
carried  away  several  people  picnicking  there. 

Besides  the  settlement  of  Harbour  Island.  Eleuthera  con- 
tains Spanish  Wells,  about  5  miles  distant,  at  the  north- 
west point,  on  St.  George's  Cay ;  the  Bluff,  5  miles  south  of 
the  latter,  with  500  population;  Current  Island,  containing  a 
small  colony  of  negroes ;  Gregorytown,  noted  for  its  pine- 
apples; Governoi-'s  Harbour,  chiefly  built  upon  a  great  rock 
about  1,000  feet  long  by  300  wide,  connected  with  the  main 
by  a  narrow  causeway;  Savannah  Sound,  so  named  from  an 
ocean  inlet  resembling  a  very  attractive  inland  lake,  with 
wooded  shores  and  exquisitely  tinted  water,  with  an  average 
depth  of  less  than  3  feet;  Tarpum  Bay,  on  the  south 
shore,  8  miles  from  the  sound,  so  called  from  the  former 
abundance  of  the  fish  of  that  name;  Rock  Sound,  10  miles 
southerly,  a  pineapple  place,  but  formerly  a  wreckers'  resort ; 
and  finally,  30  miles  farther  south,  IVcyniis'^  Bight,  cele- 
brated for  its  oranges  and  pines,  and  once  the  abode  of  orig- 
inal proprietors,  who  were  expelled  by  Spaniards  in  1680, 
the  ruins  of  whose  estates  may  still  be  seen. 

Taken  altogether.  Eleuthera  is  the  most  attractive  island 
of  the  chain,  and  is  comparatively  accessible  from  Nassau. 
Owing  to  its  coral  formation,  there  are  several  caves  adorned 
with  stalactites,  which  are  worthy  of  exploration.  One  is 
near  Governor's  Harbour  and  is  1,100  feet  .in  length;  another 
not  far  from  Rock  Sound,  near  an  inland  pond  called  "Ocean 
Hole,"  the  water  in  which  is  more  than  100  feet  deep,  and 
rises  and  falls  with  the  tides. 

Great  and  Little  Exuma.  It  would  be  impossible  to  de- 
scribe all  the  rocks  and  cays  composing  th3  Bahamas  which 
might  possess  attractions  to  the  tourist  if  they  were  numerous 
or  varied.  Attached  to  the  two  islands  called  the  Great  and 
Little  Exuma,  and  which  combined  contain  70,000  acres,  are. 
no  less  than  166  cays,  altogether  forming  a  western  wall  to 
the  Exuma  Sound,  on  the  east  of  which,  and  southeast  of 
Eleuthera,  is  situated  an  island  celebrated  in  history.  This 
is    Cat    Island,    or    San    Salvador,    about    42    miles    long 


64  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST   INDIES 

by  4  miles  wide,  and  containing  102,000  acres  of  such  thin 
soil  as  is  found  throughout  the  Bahamas  generally.  It  has 
several  settlements,  largely  composed  of  blacks  and  coloured 
people,  and  is  celebrated  for  its  delicious  pineapples,  agri- 
culture and  cattle  raising  being  the  chief  occupations  of  its 
4,000  population.  The  principal  settlement  is  called  the  Bight, 
30  miles  distant  from*  which  is  another  known  as  the 
Bluff.  Between  the  Bight  and  the  Bluff  are  scattered  some 
small  settlements ;  but  there  is  no  particular  attraction  for  the 
traveller  anywhere,  except  it  be  in  the  connection  of  this 
island  with  the  first  voyage  of  Columbus.  Washington  Irving 
named  it  as  the  original  GnanaJiani,  called  by  Columbus 
San  Salvador,  which  was  his  first  landfall ;  but  of  late 
years  a  contrary  opinion  has  arisen.  The  island  is  shaped 
like  a  boot,  and  at  the  heel  of  it,  thrust  out  toward  the 
Atlantic,  is  Columbus  Point,  where  not  only  the  famous 
navigator  is  said  to  have  landed,  but  where,  in  July,  1898,  a 
ship  salvaged  from  Cervera's  fleet,  the  Santa  Maria,  stranded 
and  was  lost.  When  the  inevitable  wreckers  approached 
to  dismantle  the  warship  a  large  black  cat  leaped  from  her 
to  the  rocks  and  ran  into  the  woods ;  though  it  was  not  from 
this  circumstance  that  the  island  received  its  modern  name. 
Just  who  bestowed  this  appellation  is  not  known,  but  it  was 
probably  some  one  of  the  buccaneers  who  made  the  island 
their  rendezvous. 

Watlings  Island,  Easterly  from  Cat  Island,  and  about 
200  miles  distant  from  Nassau,  we  find  another  claimant  for 
Columbian  honours  in  Watlings  Island,  for  later  investigators 
than  Irving  have  declared  it  is  the  veritable  one  upon  which 
Columbus  first  landed  on  October  12,  1492.  It  is  about 
12  miles  in  length  and  6  in  breadth,  has  no  safe  harbour 
and  but  one  small  settlement,  Cockburn  Town,  on  its  lee- 
ward shore,  where  the  very  few  white  people  it  contains 
have  their  residence.  ]\Iost  of  the  population  is  black  and 
poverty-stricken,  numbering  about  600.  The  surface  of  the 
island  is  uneven,  consisting  of  low  hills  between  which  are 
lagoons  of  salt  water.  From  the  fact  that  this  island  has  the 
only  interior  body  of  water  found  in  this  region,  the  investi- 
gators have  concluded  it  must  be  that  of  the  landfall,  for 
Columbus  makes  particular  meaition  of  a  lake  similar  to  this 


THE   BAHAMAS  65 

of  Watlings.  He  also  describes  in  his  journal  a  landlocked 
bay,  which  exactly  answers  to  the  description  of  Graham's 
Harbour  in  this  island;  but  in  many  respects  the  reality  and 
the  description  by  Columbus  do  not  agree.  It  is  as  possible, 
after  all,  that  the  first  landing  of  Columbus  in  the  New 
World  may  have  been  on  Eleuthera  as  on  Cat  or  Watlings, 
but  at  present  the  weight  of  authority  seems  in  favour  of  the 
last  named.  Here  is  a  problem,  anyway,  which  is  still  to  be 
solved,  perhaps  by  the  inquiring  mind  of  some  acute  traveller 
w^ho  may  read  these  lines  ! 

Rum  Cay  and  Long  Island.  Southeast  of  Watlings  is 
Rum  Cay,  which  is  thought  to  have  been  the  second  island 
visited  by  Columbus  in  the  Bahamas.  It  is  about  10  miles 
long  by  4  miles  broad,  with  a  black  and  semi-barbarous 
population  less  than  400  in  number,  among  whom  the  old 
wrecker  sentiment  is  still  strong :  that  to  the  natives 
belong  the  ships  that  founder  on  their  shores.  On  the  north- 
east shore  of  this  island  is  a  cave  which  is  said  to  contain 
aboriginal  carvings  in  the  rocks.  On  Watlings,  also,  are  caves 
that  suggest  original  Indian  occupancy,  in  one  of  which, 
some  years  ago,  an  aboriginal  dugout,  or  canoe,  was  found. 
The  Bahamas,  in  fact,  abound  in  interesting  caverns. 

The  population  of  Long  Island,  which  is  57  miles 
by  2  or  3  in  extent,  is  about  2,500,  of  the  customary 
complexion  in  the  Bahamas,  the  few  white  people  being  de- 
scendants of  wealthy  Loyalists  who  settled  here  after  the 
American  Revolution,  There  is  here  neither  attractive 
scenery,  of  tropical  or  any  other  character,  nor  a  settlement 
worthy  of  a  visit. 

Crooked,  Fortune,  and  Acklin  Islands.  An  interesting 
group  of  islands  for  exploration  is  presented  in  that  con- 
taining the  trio  named  at  the  beginning  of  this  paragraph. 
Crooked  Island  contains  about  48,000  acres  of  poor  soil,  and 
perhaps  700  negroes,  whose  chief  occupation  is  agricultural, 
though  fishing  and  turtling  are  carried  on  by  all.  There 
is  a  straggling  settlement  called  Pittstown,  on  a  rocky  ridge, 
but  no  good  harbour.  Some  very  interesting  caves  and 
grottoes  are  to  b^  found  on  the  ocean  side  of  the  island, 
which  display  wonderful,  water-worn  rocks  in  shape  of 
castles  and  churches.    One  of  these  caves  is  entered  through 


66  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST  INDIES 

an  opening  masked  by  wild  fig  trees  and  vines,  through 
which  the  sunlight  filters  upon  a  floor  of  sand. 

Fortune  Island  adjoins  Crooked,  and  is  separated  from 
Acklin  only  by  a  narrow  sound  so  shallow  that  it  may  some- 
times be  waded  at  low  water.  It  is  9  miles  long,  by 
less  than  a  mile  wide,  about  800  acres  in  area,  and  supports 
a  population,  almost  entirely  black,  of  some  700.  Its  inhabi- 
tants are  industrious,  and  labour  in  the  salt-ponds,  which 
are  very  productive.  Steamers  on  their  way  to  and  from 
New  York  and  Jamaica,  as  well  as  Panama,  make  Alhert- 
toii'u,  the  settlement,  a  port  of  call,  for  the  purpose  of  ob- 
taining labourers  to  discharge  cargo,  taking  them  up  on 
the  southward  voyage,  and  dropping  them  off  on  the  north- 
ward. There  is  no  harbour,  but  a  good  roadstead,  off  which 
passing  steamers  may  be  induced  to  stop  or  slow  up  for 
passengers,  but  make  no  landing.  This  is,  in  fact,  the  only 
island  between  New  Providence  and  Inagua,  a  distance  of 
perhaps  500  miles,  at  which  steam-vessels  even  touch,  all 
communication  being  by  sailing  craft, 

Acklin,  largest  of  the  Crooked  Island  group,  is  about 
45  miles  long  by  from  2  to  4  wide,  and  its  popula- 
tion of  800  mainly  resides  at  or  near  its  only  settlement, 
called  Atwood's  Harbour.  There  is  not  much  cultivation 
here,  and  the  shipments  mostly  consist  of  natural  products, 
such  as  cave  guano,  ebony,  brazil-wood,  and  lignum-vitse.  The 
"human  documents"  here  are  chiefly  of  the  African  variety. 

Inagua  and  Mayaguana.  Inagua,  the  larger  of  these  two, 
contains  some  240.000  acres,  mostly  worthless,  being  about 
45  miles  in  length  by  18  in  breadth.  It  has  exten- 
sive salt-ponds,  a  mile  or  so  from  IMatthewstown,  its 
only  settlement,  capable  of  producing  annually  1,500,000 
bushels.  "Salt  raking"  is  the  principal  occupation  of 
Inagua's  inhabitants,  about  1,000  in  number,  who  also  raise 
cattle  and  cocoanuts,  which  are  shipped  to  Haiti  and  the 
United  States.  This  island  is  called  "Great"  to  distinguish 
it  from  "Little"  Inagua,  wh'ich  lies  near  it,  is  about  8  miles 
by  5  in  extent,  and  is  uninhabited.  Near  these,  also,  lies 
Mayaguana,  25  miles  long  by  an  average  of  4;  low-lying, 
well-wooded,  with  a  black  population  of  between  200  and 
300,     The  Hamburg-American  Line  makes   weekly  calls  at 


THE  BAHAMAS  67 

Inagua  on  its  Haiti-Santa  Marta  service.  Time  to  New 
York,  5  days;  to  Port  au  Prince,  2  days. 

The  Caicos.  This  name  is  applied  to  a  crescentic  group 
of  islands  near  the  southeastern  end  of  the  Bahamas,  which, 
with  Turks  Island,  are  about  170  miles  in  area.  They  com- 
prise Norths  South,  East,  West,  and  Grand  Caicos,  and  have 
a  total  population  of  100  whites  and  3.000  blacks  (including 
the  coloured  people).  They  are  mainly  descended,  says 
Sir  Henry  Norman,  from  slaves  brought  over  by  Loyalist 
refugees  from  Georgia,  in  the  United  States.  These  Loyal- 
ist settlers  constructed  substantial  stone  houses  and  made 
good  roads,  possessed  horses  and  cattle,  and  raised  crops; 
but  they  and  their  descendants  have  long  since  disappeared. 
The  blacks  who  remained  lapsed  into  something  little  short 
of  savagery,  and  the  islands  became  overgrown  with  bush. 
It  is  only  of  late  years  that  efforts  have  been  made  to  im- 
prove conditions;  but  as  yet  not  much  progress  has  been 
made. 

This  statement  may  be  applied  to  nearly  all  the  Bahama 
islands.  The  sea  surrounding  the  Caicos  contains  fields  of 
sponges,  which  are  gathered,  sorted,  baled,  and  sent  to 
Grand  Turk,  whence  they  are  shipped  to  New  York.  Here 
are  found,  also,  the  conch  containing  the  valuable  pink 
pearls,  prices  for  which,  even  in  the  local  market,  are  so 
high  that  the  lucky  finder  of  one  is  generally  enabled  to  buy 
himself  a  boat — "the  usual  summit  of  his  ambition."  Sisal 
hemp  cultivation  has  been  introduced,  and  the  salt  industry 
of  Cockbiirn  Harbour,  on  the  South  Caicos,  is  quite  exten- 
sive. At  this  place  there  are  nearly  250  acres  of  salt-ponds, 
and  the  output  is  by  the  thousands  of  bushels. 

Island  of  Grand  Turk.  The  Turks  and  Caicos  Islands 
were  annexed  to  Jamaica,  as  a  governmental  dependency, 
in  1848,  because,  though  the  distance  separating  them  from 
Nassau  was  about  the  same  as  that  from  Kingston,  Jamaica 

(a  little  more  than  500  miles),  the  Bahama  capital  was  more 
difficult  to  reach  and  there  were  no  means  of  quick  com- 
munication. While  geographically  belonging  to  the  Ba- 
hamas, politically  these  islands  pertain  to  Jamaica,  with 
which  there  is  frequent  communication  by  steamers.  They 
are  governed  by  a   commissioner   assisted  by  a  legislative 


68  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST  INDIES 

board,  with  the  advice  of  a  judge  of  the  supreme  court,  and 
subject  to  the  assent  of  Jamaica's  governor. 

The  annual  revenue  and  expenditure  of  this  group  are  from 
$30,000  to  $40,000 ;  the  exports  amount  to  about  $120,000, 
and  the  imports  to  $140,000,  and  are  not  increasing.  Grand 
Turk,  island  and  town,  is  the  capital  of  the  group,  and  con- 
tains about  one-third  the  total  population,  which  was  5,100 
in  1905.  The  island  is  7  miles  long  by  iH  wide,  and  there 
is  a  small  dependency  9  miles  southwest — Salt  Cay,  where 
an  assistant  commissioner  resides.  There  are  only  15  white 
people  in  Salt  Cay,  and  less  than  240  in  Grand  Turk,  the 
majority  being  of  African  origin. 

Salt  raking  is  the  only  industry  of  importance,  the  amount 
annually  gathered  and  exported  being  about  1,800,000 
bushels,  or  60,000  tons.  There  are  230  acres  of  salt-ponds 
in  Grand  Turk,  and  114  at  Salt  Cay.  Each  acre  is  roughly 
estimated  to  yield  about  4.000  bushels  of  salt  per  annum ; 
but  the  weather  must  continue  fine  during  the  season,  as 
the  product  is  obtained  by  evaporation,  which  is  retarded 
by  storms.  The  salt  is  shipped  in  bulk,  in  sailing-vessels, 
and  four  lighters,  manned  by  10  men  each,  often  lade  a 
200-ton  ship  in  one  day. 

The  town  of  Grand  Turk  is  small,  neat  and  cleanly,  with 
a  few  stores,  several  consulates,  a  market-place,  public 
library  and  reading-room,  a  church,  a  court-house,  prison; 
and  schools,  but  without  hotels  or  boarding-houses.  There 
is  little  here  worth  coming  to  see,  except  the  salt-ponds  and 
their  output,  some  caves  that  once  contained  aboriginal  re- 
mains in  the  Caicos,  and  the  processes  of  couching  and 
sponging.  The  island  was  originally  settled  by  Bermudians, 
who  came  here  to  rake  salt  as  early  as  1670.  The  people 
here  are  very  poor,  but  taxation  is  nil,  being  indirect,  or 
derived  from  duties  on  imports.  There  are  no  good  springs 
on  the  island,  and  all  drinking-water  comes  from  the 
clouds,  being  stored  in  reservoirs  by  individuals  and  by  gov- 
ernment ;  there  being  7  public  tanks,  capable  of  holding  230,- 
000  gallons.  Fish  of  numerous  kinds  are  abundant,  but  fresh 
meats  and  vegetables  scarce.  The  climate  is  hot  and  de- 
pressing at  times,  but  healthful  in  the  main. 

Steam  Communication,     New   York  and   Grand  Turk: 


I  nil  i>iiiiiiiTriiniii:ij.i[ji 


>^ 


Coffee  Tree,  Cuba 


THE   BAHAMAS  69 

the  Clyde  Line  steamers,  twice  a  month,  to  and  from  Santo 
Domingo. 

Halifax,  Bermudas  and  Jamaica :  Pickford  and  Black  Line, 
monthly  each  way. 

England  and  Jamaica :  Imperial  West  India  ]\Iail,  once  a 
fortnight. 

Cable  communication  with  Bermudas,  Jamaica,  and  the 
rest  of  the  world  by  the  Direct  West  India  Company,  estab- 
lished in  1898. 

Money  in  circulation:  all  kinds  of  gold  and  silver,  with  a 
local  paper  currency  of  ten-shilling  and  one-pound  notes. 
As  of  all  the  islands,  it  may  be  said  that  "commercial  ac- 
counts are  usually  kept  in  dollars,  and  government  accounts 
in  'sterling'  " — one  system  standing  for  progress  and  the 
other  for  decadence ! 

As  we  have  noted  in  our  view  of  the  Bahama  chain,  but 
three  islands,  New  Providence,  Inagua  and  Grand  Turk, 
possess  direct  steam  and  cable  connection  with  the  outside 
world.  The  first  and  last-named  islands  are  500  miles  apart ; 
they  include  hundreds  of  cays  and  islets  between  them,  yet 
there  is  no  public  house  for  the  "entertainment  of  man  and 
beast"  outside  of  Nassau ;  to  reach  which,  from  Grand 
Turk,  the  most  available  route  is  via  New  York ! 

History.  The  history  of  the  Bahamas  may  be  said  to 
have  been  "writ  in  water,"  since  they  were  discovered  by 
seafarers,  settled  by  them,  and  for  years  held  in  their  pos- 
session. We  know,  of  course,  that  an  island  of  the  Bahamas 
was  the  first  land  in  the  West  Indies  discovered  by  Euro- 
peans, when  Christopher  Columbus  made  his  "landfall," 
somewhere  about  midway  of  the  archipelago.  Just  where  it 
was,  is  more  or  less  conjecture;  but  be  that  as  it  may,  the 
island  was  certainly  one  of  the  Bahamas.  Through  the 
chain,  also,  gallant  Ponce  de  Leon,  putative  discoverer  of 
Florida,  wended  his  way  in  search  of  the  mythical  "Fountain 
of  Eternal  Youth"  in  1513,  and  again  in  1521,  the  year  he 
met  his  death.  The  Spaniards  made  no  settlements  on  the 
islands,  but  returned  to  them  only  for  the  purpose  of  enslav- 
ing the  original  inhabitants,  whom  they  soon  exterminated. 
Not  many  years  after  the  discovery,  scarcely  a  score  of 
Indians  remained  alive,  and  wc  know  of  their  existence  only 


70  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST   INDIES 

through  tradition,  history,  and  the  few  remains  they  left 
behind,  in  the  shape  of  celts,  shards  of  pottery,  canoes,  and 
skeletons,  which  have  been  preserved  in  caves,  to  which 
they  fled  for  safety  when  pursued  by  the   Spaniards. 

The  first  settlement  was  attempted  by  Englishmen  about 
1667,  when  a  Captain  Sayles  sought  shelter  in  the  harbour 
of  an  island  which  he  named  Providence,  in  token  of  his 
gratitude  for  deliverance  from  a  storm.  It  is  that  now 
known  as  New  Providence,  and  more  than  170  years  had 
passed  since  the  discovery  of  the  Bahamas  before  a  settle- 
ment was  founded.  The  vindictive  Spaniards  resented  this 
invasion  of  what  they  considered  their  territory,  by  de- 
scending upon  New  Providence  a  few  years  later,  slaugh- 
tering its  settlers,  and  roasting  their  governor  over  a  slow  fire. 

Pirates  and  Buccaneers.  While,  by  this  barbarous  act, 
others  were  deterred  from  settling  here  for  years  thereafter, 
the  southern  islands  had  already  become  the  abode  of  dar- 
ing adventurers,  known  as  buccaneers,  or  "brethren  of  the 
sea,"  who  banded  together  to  capture  the  treasure-ships  of 
the  Spaniards  as  they  came  up  from  Panama  and  the  Span- 
ish Main.  As  they  had  to  pass  through  the  tortuous  chan- 
nels among  the  Bahamas,  they  wxre  peculiarly  exposed  to 
attack,  and  many  became  the  prey  of  the  buccaneers.  They 
did  not  confine  their  depredations  to  the  commerce  of 
Spain,  however,  and  soon  were  declared  outlaws  and  pirates. 
One  of  the  most  notorious  of  the  pirates  who  infested  these 
seas  was  "Blackbeard,"  so  called  from  his  luxuriant  whiskers, 
which  he  was  wont  to  tie  up  in  tails  and  adorn  with 
lighted  matches.  He  and  his  brother  marauders  are  said 
to  have  held  council  under  the  iamous-  banyan  tree,  which 
is  now  one  of  the  sights  of  Nassau.  He  became  such  a 
menace  to  English  commerce  that  Captain  Woodes  Rogers 

(the  naval  officer  who  had  rescued  Alexander  Selkirk,  at 
Juan  Fernandez,  in  1707)  was  sent  out  to  capture  and  hang 
him.  He  did  not  succeed,  for  Blackbeard  left  the  Bahamas 
and  went  to  the  Carolina  coast,  where  he  was  killed  and 
beheaded  in  1718. 

A  scarcely  less  infamous  class  of  adventurers  succeeded 
the  pirates — the  wreckers,  who  lured  many  a  ship  to  de- 
struction on  the  numerous  reefs,  and  whose  descendants  live 


THE  BAHAMAS  71 

in  the  islands  to-day.  In  fact,  there  are  wreckers  yet  alive 
and  who  have  plundered  vessels  in  the  present  century.  A 
band  of  them  was  brought  to  Nassau  for  trial  in  the  winter 
of  1903-04,  charged  with  boarding  and  plundering  a  pleas- 
ure yacht  which  had  foundered  on  a  reef  off  Rum  Cay. 

While  exempt  from  war  within  their  borders,  the  Bahamas 
have  benefited  by  the  misfortunes  attendant  upon  strife 
without,  as  in  1812,  and  especially  in  the  Civil  War  between 
the  States.  Blockade-runners  made  Nassau  their  rendez- 
vous,- and  were  warmly  welcomed,  as  they  were  also  in 
the  Bermudas.  Almost  fabulous  riches  were  accumulated 
during  the  four  years  of  blockade-running,  exports  and  im- 
ports rising  to  more  than  ten  times  what  they  were  before 
the  war,  and  everybody  shared  the  influx  of  wealth.  Never 
had  Nassau  been  so  seemingly  prosperous ;  but  after  the  war 
it  lapsed  into  its  wonted  state  of  semi-somnolence,  only  to 
be  aroused  by  the  advent  of  the  winter  tourists  from  the 
North.  Aside  from  pecuniary  considerations,  the  Bahamas 
were  sentimentally  inclined  towards  the  Southern  States  of 
America,  not  merely  from  contiguity,  but  owing  to  the  fact 
that  many  of  their  settlers  had  been  Southern  Loyalists,  who, 
after  the  Revolution,  removed  hither,  with  their  slaves  and 
portable  properties.  They  made  a  brave  fight  for  existence, 
they  enriched  the  islands  with  their  wealth ;  but  at  present 
few  traces  of  them  remain,  except  in  abandoned  planta- 
tions, ruined  dw^ellings,  and  descendants  of  the  negroes 
whom  they  brought  with  them  by  thousands,  and  who  were 
freed  by  the  emancipation  act  of  1834. 


CUBA 

Physical  Features.  Lying  directly  south  of  Florida,  and 
distant  from  Key  West  only  90  miles,  Cuba  is  the  nearest 
West  Indian  island  of  importance  to  the  United  States.  It 
is  about  780  miles  in  length,  and  varies  in  width  from 
100  miles  to  20,  with  a  coast  line  of  about  2,000  miles.  To- 
gether with  its  islands  and  cays,  it  has  an  area  of  about 
45,000  square  miles,  one-fourth  of  which  is  mountainous, 
nearly  three-fourths  plains  and  valleys,  the  remainder 
swampy.  Its  highest  mountains  are  in  the  Sierra  Maestra 
range,  southeastern  part  of  the  island,  with  Pico  Turquino, 
8,320  feet,  second  only  to  the  highest  in  the  Antilles  (Monte 
Tina  of  Santo  Domingo),  and  surpassing  the  Blue  ]\Ioun- 
tain  Peak  of  Jamaica  by  about  1,000  feet. 

While  Cuba's  coast  is  considered  "foul"  by  mariners,  hav- 
ing more  than  600  sandy  cays  or  shoals  off  the  north  shores 
and  700  off  the  south,  it  probably  has  more  good  ports,  for 
an  island  of  its  size,  than  any  other  in  the  world.  It  has 
been  called  "the  Island  of  a  Hundred  Harbours,"  more  than 
50  of  which  are  ports  of  entry,  many  of  them  deep  and 
pouch-shaped,  though  with  narrow  entrances,  and  completely 
landlocked.  Into  some  of  them  discharge  beautiful  rivers, 
to  the  number  of  150,  though  only  one,  the  Cauto,  of  San- 
tiago province,  is  navigable  for  more  than  a  few  miles. 
Most  of  the  great  swamps  are  found  on  the  south-central 
coast,  the  tropical  forests  in  the  eastern  province,  and  the 
mineral  resources,  such  as  iron,  some  gold,  copper,  mangan- 
ese, etc.,  in  the  mountains  of  the  southeast. 

The  flora  of  Cuba,  mainly  tropical,  contains  more  than 
3,000  species,  including  the  entire  range  of  the  torrid  zone, 
in  the  northern  part  of  which  it  is  situated  (between  20° 
and  23°  north  latitude),  with  such  precious  woods  as 
mahogany,  lignum-vitae,  granadilla.  fragrant  cedar,  and  log- 
wood, such  delicious  fruits  as  the  banana,  orange,  sapadilla, 
custard-apple,  mango  and  pineapple.  The  forest  area  is  esti- 
mated at  nearly  50  per  cent,  of  the  island's  total,  of  which 


naiivc    quauiupcu    IS    me    IITIQ, 


CUBA  73 

more  than  1.200.000  acres  are  owned  by  the  government  and 
available  for  exploitation. 

Climate  and  Healthfulness.  While  the  Bermudas  and 
Bahamas  may  be  safely  visited  at  any  time  of  the  year,  the 
same  cannot  be  said  of  Cuba,  which  in  summer  is  decidedly 
unhealthful  along  the  coast.  The  former  scourge,  yellow 
fever,  has  to  a  great  extent  been  stamped  out  by  the  ener- 
getic action  of  the  United  States  military  authorities;  but 
in  many  sections  malaria  is  endemic,  and  one  must  observe 
moderation  in  diet  and  take  precautions  as  to  exposure  to 
the  night  air  and  midday  sun.  The  climate  is  salubrious,  on 
the  whole,  especially  in  the  winter  months,  or  from  Janu- 
ary to  April,  the  excessive  rainfall  of  the  summer  months 
interfering  with  travel  over  the  country  roads  and  engender- 
ing malaria.  The  mean  winter  temperature  is  from  72°  to 
74°  along  the  coast  and  in  the  lowlands ;  that  of  midsum- 
mer is  82°  to  88°,  depending  upon  locality.  In  the  moun- 
tains a  temperature  of  50°  is  sometimes  experienced ;  but 
frost  is  unknown,  and  snow  has  fallen  only  once  in  the  last 
fifty  years. 

Neglect  of  sanitary  measures  is  the  chief  cause  of  local 
diseases,  but  in  the  summer-time  one  is  more  liable  to  con- 
tract them  than  in  the  winter.  A  cool  breeze  generally  plays 
along  the  coast,  the  prevailing  wind  being  the  northeast 
trade.  Frequent  "northers,"  strong  and  cool,  produce  an 
equivalent  of  seasonal  changes,  and  once  in  a  great  while 
the  island  is  visited  by  a  hurricane.  That  of  1846  destroyed 
nearly  2.000  houses  in  Havana  alone  and  wrecked  300  ves- 
sels, while  the  growing  crops,  especially  in  the  eastern  part, 
have  often  been  levelled  to  the  ground.  These  hurricanes 
occur,  however,  in  the  summer  months,  generally  in  August 
or  September,  and  are  rarely  experienced  by  the  tourist, 
who  wull  naturally  prefer  to  visit  the  island  in  winter.     , 

Cuban  Fauna.  The  indigenous  fauna  of  Cuba  does  not 
abound  in  animals  for  the  chase,  and  it  is  not  by  any 
means  a  "hunter's  paradise"  ;  though  deer  shooting  can  be 
found  in  the  swamps,  and  the  birds,  200  species,  include  the 
wild  turkey,  dove,  quail,  snipe  and  pigeon.  Birds  of  song 
and  brilliant  plumage  are  found  in  the  forests  and  on 
uieir  borders,  but   the  only  native  quadruped   is  the  utia, 


74  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST  INDIES 

or  Jiutia,  a  rat-like  animal  12  to  16  inches  in  length, 
the  flesh  of  which  is  eaten  by  Cuban  Creoles,  but  is  not 
very  palatable.  The  giant  manatee  is  found  in  the  mouths 
of  creeks  and  rivers,  and  the  coastal  waters  abound 
in  fish  (nearly  650  species),  including  immense  sharks,  red 
snappers,    etc. 

The  most  numerous  insect  is  the  fire-beetle  (native  name 
cucuyo),  which  has  a  brilliantly  luminous  spot  on  each 
side  of  its  head,  and  adorns  the  meadows  by  thousands.  It 
is  perfectly  innocuous ;  though  the  same  cannot  be  said  of 
certain  other  insects  which  are  common  in  Cuba,  as  the 
centipede,  the  scorpion,  tarantula,  and  chigoe  or  "jigger." 
While  relatively  numerous,  however,  these  latter  rarely 
sting,  and  are  not  encountered  in  the  cities.  Of  reptiles 
there  is  a  full  assortment :  alligators  in  the  creeks,  iguanas 
in  the  mangrove  swamps,  lizards  everywhere  in  the  coun- 
try, and  a  few  species  of  snake  in  the  forests.  Of  ser- 
pents or  snakes,  the  largest  is  the  niajd,  a  boa  constrictor, 
which  sometimes  attains  a  length  of  12  to  14  feet.  It  is, 
however,  perfectly  harmless  to  human  beings,  though  it  robs 
the  hen-roosts  and  makes  way  with  small  animals.  Another 
snake,  the  jnba,  about  6  feet  in  length,  is  said  to  be  venom- 
ous, though  the  traveller  is  not  likely  to  encounter  it. 

The  Cuban  shell-fish  are  of  inferior  quality,  oysters  and 
crabs  being  the  most  numerous.  The  former  abound  in  bays, 
creeks  and  inlets,  and  the  latter  (the  land-crabs)  make  long 
journeys  overland  in  the  season  of  rains. 

Useful  Hints.    No  passport  is  needed  in  Cuba. 

American  money  can  be  exchanged  for  Spanish  silver,  which 
is  in  use  locally,  at  the  following  equivalents,  fixed  by  the 
United  States  Government  during  the  American  intervention : 


Peso  (Spanish  dollar) $0.60 

Medio  Peso  (half  dollar) 30 

Peseta  ( Spanish  unit  of  value) 12 

Real    (dime) 06 

Medio  Real 03 


The  rate  of  exchange,  which  varies  slightly,  may  be  learned 
from  the  daily  papers  or  obtained  of  hotel  clerks  and  guides. 


CUBA  75 

Rates  of  postage  same  as  in  the  United  States. 

Customs.  While  all  luggage  must  be  opened  for  inspec- 
tion, the  first  thing  after  reaching  dock  at  any  port  in  Cuba, 
the  customs  officials  will  be  found  courteous  and  obliging. 
All  wearing  apparel  is  admitted  free  and  there  is  a  liberal 
allowance  for  necessities  of  travel. 

On  returning  from  Cuba  the  tourist  will  be  allowed  to  enter 
any  port  of  the  United  States  or  England  under  the  rules 
governing  the  customs  in  those  countries.  In  the  United 
States  articles  not  intended  for  sale  may  be  taken  in  free 
up  to  the  value  of  $ioo.  although  cigars  are  limited  to  fifty 
in  number  and  cigarettes  to  three  hundred.  The  British 
customs  rarely  bar  anything  necessary  to  the  traveller's 
comfort   except  tobacco   and   spirits. 

American  Legations.  An  American  minister  plenipoten- 
tiary resides  at  Havana,  260  San  Lazaro  Street;  the  United 
States  consul  at  76  Cuba  Street;  and  there  are  consuls  or 
consular  agents  at  every  port,  to  whom  a  stranger  should 
apply  when  involved  in  difficulties  requiring  diplomatic 
assistance.     The  British  Legation  is  at  loi  Aguiar  Street. 

Havana.  While  the  island  of  Cuba  oossesses  scores  of 
good  harbours,  each  port  has  its  distinctive  landmark,  by 
which  the  approaching  sailors  easily  identify  it,  even  in  the 
darkest  night.  This  landfall  is  usually  a  hill  or  mountain, 
and  in  the  case  of  Havana  there  are  two  conical  hills,  called 
the  Tetas  de  Managua,  about  700  feet  high,  which  rise  to 
the  south  of  the  city,  inland.  Nearing  the  land,  the  tall  shaft 
of  the  Morro  (the  light  tower)  looms  against  the  sky-line, 
followed  by  the  bulk  of  the  fortress,  or  castle,  about 
100  feet  above  the  harbour  level.  The  light  in  the  tower 
may  be  seen  15  to  18  miles  at  sea,  for  it  is  well  set  upon 
its  rocky  headland,  breasting  the  sea,  and  in  a  storm  the 
raging  waves  dash  against  the  walls  that  guard  it.  flying 
even  over  the  ramparts. 

The  pilot  is  already  aboard  ship  before  the  steamer  arrives 
under  the  Morro,  and  the  health  authorities  by  the  time  the 
Pttnfa,  or  fort  on  the  Point,  is  passed,  and  while  one  is 
admiring  the  fortifications  of  Cabanas,  which  crown  and  lie 
against  the  heights  across  the  harbour  from  the  city,  the 
vessel  comes  to  anchor.     The  harbour  entrance  is  scarcely 


^(i  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST-  INDIES 

more  than  i,ooo  feet  in  width,  but  once  inside  expands 
to  a  length  of  about  3  miles,  with  a  breadth  of  a  mile  and 
a  half. 

Perhaps  no  harbour  in  the  world  surpasses  that  of  Havana 
for  safety  and  capacity,  and  there  is  certainly  none  that  con- 
tains an  equal  quantity  of  filth.  Like  most  of  Cuba's  ports, 
this  one  is  a  complete  cul.de  sac,  with  but  one  outlet,  and  for 
centuries  has  been  the  dumping-place  of  garbage,  receptacle 
of  sewage  and  polluted  liquids  generally.  In  the  olden  times, 
and  not  so  long  ago  at  that,  the  mariner  approaching  Havana 
needed  no  other  guide  than  his  nose,  for  at  night  the  off- 
shore breeze  bore  to  him  such  overpowering  stenches  that  he 
had  only  to  put  his  vessel  head  to  the  wind  and  trace  the 
evil  odours  to  their  source !  The  Americans  improved  the 
city  much,  and  indicated  to  the  Cubans  how  they  might  have 
their  harbour  scoured  of  its  filth  by  opening  an  inlet  from 
the  sea  back  of  the  ]\Iorro. 

Landing  at  Havana.  Though  the  largest  steamers  can 
approach  the  wharves,  owing  to  powerful  "lighterage"  inter- 
ests they  are  compelled  to  anchor  in  the  bay,  at  a  distance 
sufficient  to  allow  a  fee  to  be  charged  for  landing.  The  boats 
used  for  this  purpose  are  safe,  the  boatmen  courteous ;  but 
the  mere  fact  that  one  is  compelled  to  employ  them  is  an 
annoyance,  though  the  fee  is  small.  Hotel  "runners"  meet 
all  steamers,  and  the  pursers  of  the  various  steamship  lines 
act  as  agents  of  the  Cuban  and  Pan-American  Express  Com- 
pany, which  checks  luggage  to  any  point  in  the  city,  or  stores 
it  on  call  at  its  office.  Since  the  American  occupation  of 
Cuba  many  innovations  have  been  made  tending  to  the  com- 
fort and  convenience  of  the  traveller,  and  the  baggage- 
transfer  system  is  one  of  them.  Havana  has  always  possessed 
an  extensive  and  complete  hack  service,  her  "victorias"  hav- 
ing long  been  famous.  Fare  from  landing  wharf  to  any  hotel 
within  the  city  limits,  two  persons,  20  cents  in  Spanish  silver 
(see  table)  ;  three  persons.  25  cents;  four,  30  cents.  Electric 
cars  also  traverse  the  city,  starting  from  the  Machina,  or 
custom-house  wharf,  as  one  of  their  termini,  and  persons 
without  large  luggage  can  avail  of  them ;  fare,  5  cents,  or 
7  cents  Spanish  silver. 

Hotels  and  Restaurants.     Havana  is  well   supplied   with 


CUBA  ^7 

hotels,  also  with  restaurants,  the  prices  prevailing  being 
somewhat  above  those  for  similar  service  in  England  and 
the  United  States.  The  largest  and  best  hotels  are  situated 
on  or  near  the  Prado,  or  central  park  and  avenue,  which 
bisects  the  city ;  but  there  are  also  several  in  the  suburbs,  as 
at  the  Vedado  and  Gnanabacoa.  All  are  well  supplied  with 
guides  and  interpreters,  so  that  no  one  need  go  astray  in 
Havana.  Spanish,  of  course,  is  the  native  language,  but 
even  the  gamins  speak  English,  are  everywhere  encountered, 
and  are  always  at  the  traveller's  service,  though  perhaps  not 
always  trustworthy. 
The  Prado.  The  Prado  is  a  central  parkway  connecting 
a  system  of  parks  in  the  heart  of  the  city  with  the  seashore. 
The  Prado  and  parks  combined  form  an  unequalled  breathing 
space  and  central  rallying  place  for  Havana's  population, 
which  enjoys  them  to  the  full.  The  system  begins  at  the 
Parqiie  de  Colon,  or  Columbus  Park,  which  is  adorned  with 
lawns,  tropical  trees,  and  shrubs,  as  well  as  a  fountain,  and 
runs  northwardly  through  the  best  part  of  the  city.  Nearly 
every  street  which  it  is  desirable  for  the  traveller  to  visit 
is  intersected  by  this  series  of  delectable  parklets,  at  the 
southern  end  of  which  is  that  known  as  La  India  (the 
Indian),  from  an  exquisite  marble  statue  of  an  Indian  prin- 
cess, whom  the  Havanese  choose  to  regard  as  allegorical  of 
their  city,  surmounting  a  fountain  and  guarded  by  mythical 
monsters.  The  Prado  proper  connects  La  India  with  the  cen- 
tral feature  of  the  series,  which,  though  formerly  known  as 
the  Parque  Isabel  (from  a  statue  of  the  Spanish  queen  which 
adorned  it),  is  now  called  Parque  Central.  This  Central 
Park  is  a  beautiful  spot,  with  concrete  walks,  flower-beds, 
statuary,  laurel  trees  cut  in  formal  shapes,  and  is  a  favourite 
resort,  especially  late  in  the  afternoon  and  at  night.  Sur- 
rounded as  it  is  by  hotels,  theatres,  club-houses,  restaurants, 
with  ample  space  for  promenades  between  its  parterres  of 
flowers  beneath  gorgeous  flame  trees,  masses  of  vivid  colour, 
in  the  gleam  of  powerful  electric  lights.  Central  Park  is  con- 
stantly crowded  from  dusk  till  after  midnight.  There  is 
probably  no  noisier  or  more  bustling  place  in  the  world  than 
the  Prado,  from  Central  Park  to  the  Malecon.  after  the 
shades  of  night  have  fallen.    Nearly  every  night  of  the  winter 


78  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST  INDIES 

season  is  a  perfect  one,  with  deep  blue  sky  and  flaming  stars, 
perchance  a  glorious  moon  flooding  the  scene  with  silvery 
light,  and  hence  there  is  no  postponement  of  the  gaiety  "on 
account  of  the  weather,"  which  is  always  fine.  Then  the 
double  promenades  of  the  Prado,  within  their  boundaries  of 
deep-green  laurel  trees,  are  densely  crowded,  while,  especially 
of  a  Sunday  afternoon  and  evening,  a  solid  procession  of 
elegant  equipages  slowly  moves  down  one  side  and  up  the 
other.  Five  times  a  week  in  the  season — on  Sunday  after- 
noon and  evening,  Tuesday,  Thursday,  and  Saturday — de- 
lightful music  is  rendered  by  the  famed  Municipal  Band, 
either  in  the  Par  que  Central  or  at  the  IMalecon,  which  is  a 
parked  embankment  overlooking  the  sea-wall,  commanding 
magnificent  views  of  the  harbour  entrance,  Morro  Castle 
on  its  promontory  beyond,  and  the  farther  waters  of  the 
open  Gulf. 

The  original  Prado  was  begun  by  the  Spaniards  long  ago, 
when  General  Tacon  was  in  power ;  but  Havana  owes  its 
extension  and  completion  to  the  Americans,  who  put  the 
finishing  touch  to  this  great  work  by  practically  creating  the 
Malecon  and  opening  the  glorious  vista  between  parallel  rows 
of  stately  residences  terminated  by  old  Morro  Castle  across 
the  harbour.  Among  the  structures  that  line  the  Prado 
there  are  many,  like  the  Spanish  Casino,  the  fair  white 
marble  club-house  of  the  Associated  Clerks,  the  new  hotel 
for  millionaires  exclusively,  that  would  attract  attention  any- 
where ;  but  the  most  obtrusive  of  these  is  a  great  yellow 
bull. ling  at  the  east  and  near  the  foot  of  the  parkway,  at  one 
side  of  Punta  Park.  This  is  the  Carcel  and  Presidio,  or 
penitentiary,  which  was  built  in  1839.  It  is  300  feet  long 
by  240  wide,  and  can  hold  5,000  prisoners.  It  was  one  of 
the  filthy  buildings  that  the  Americans  cleaned  up,  as  well 
as  out,  when  they  undertook  the  task  of  cleansing  the  Augean 
stables  of  Havana.  Here  was  contained  the  dreadful  garrote, 
by  which  the  condemned  were  executed,  permission  to  in- 
spect which,  as  well  as  the  Carcel  itself,  must  be  obtained 
of  the  municipal  authorities. 

Punta  Castle.  The  IMalecon  terminates  the  Prado  park- 
way with  a  music-stand,  or  temple,  of  classical  design,  con- 
taining   20    Ionic    columns    bearing    aloft    an    entablature 


CUBA  79 

and  dome  inscribed  with  the  names  of  famed  composers.  It 
is  a  temple  of  music  fitly  set  beneath  a  sky  as  clear  as  that 
of  Greece,  and  the  views  from  it  are  superb.  The  massive 
sea-wall  curves  around  in  front  of  it  to  a  more  ancient 
structure,  the  Castillo  dc  la  Punta,  or  Punta  Castle,  one  of 
the  fortifications  originally  planned  for  the  defence  of 
Havana,  and,  with  the  Morro  opposite,  guarding  the  harbour 
entrance.  It  was  begun  260  years  ago,  was  silenced  by 
British  guns  in  1762  (or  rather,  by  Spanish  guns  turned  upon 
it  by  the  British  after  they  had  captured  the  larger  castle), 
and  now  is  regarded  as  more  ornamental  than  useful,  having 
been  admitted  into  the  general  scheme  for  beautifying  Havana 
by  the  extension  of  a  seaside  parkway  and  boulevards. 

Students'  Memorial.  Between  the  Punta  and  the  Carcel 
site  stands  the  "Students'  Memorial,"  consisting  of  an  inscribed 
tablet  set  into  the  fragment  of  a  .building,  the  rest  of  which 
was  demolished  in  the  American  march  of  improvement.  It 
commemorates  the  massacre  near  this  spot  of  eight  young 
Cuban  students,  the  oldest  of  whom  was  only  sixteen,  No- 
vember 27,  1871.  They  were  charged  with  insulting  the 
memory  of  a  Spaniard  who  had  fallen  in  a  duel  with  a 
Cuban,  and,  after  the  pretence  of  a  trial,  were  shot  by 
Spanish  volunteers. 

Plaza  de  Armas.  The  Place  of  Arms,  or  Alilitary  Square, 
of  ancient  Havana  was  really  the  beginning  of  the  city,  and 
probably  dates  from  15 19,  as  it  was  the  custom  of  Spaniards 
in  that  time  to  first  erect  a  gallows-tree,  then  lay  out  a 
Plaza  de  Annas,  around  which  they  grouped  the  civil,  mili- 
tary, and  ecclesiastical  structures.  It  was  probably  near  the 
Carenage,  or  careening  place,  where  the  first  landing  was 
made.  From  the  Prado  and  Central  Park  the  Plaza  de  Armas 
may  be  reached  by  both  Obispo  and  O'Reilly  streets,  or  by 
taking  the  electric  tramway  that  crosses  the  parkway  at 
Montserrate  Square,  the  junction  of  both. 

The  park  contains  fine  parterres  of  flowers,  laurels  and 
royal  palms,  with  a  notable  marble  statue  of  Ferdinand  VII. 
of  Spain.  Around  this  square  still  cluster  the  administrative 
buildings — if  such  they  may  be  termed — as  the  President's 
Palace,  west ;  the  Senate  Building,  north  ;  the  Hall  of  Ref^re- 
sentatiz'cs,  south  ;  the  Post  Office,  northeast,  etc.    East  of  the 


8o  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST  INDIES 

square  stands  a  small  structure  known  as  the  Tcmpletc,  which 
was  erected  in  1828  to  commemorate  the  first  landing  of 
Havana's  founders.  It  is  classic  in  design  and  contains 
three  noteworthy  paintings,  one  of  which  depicts  the  first 
celebration  of  mass  on  this  spot  in  1519.  beneath  a  venerable 
ceiba  tree,  a  scion  of  which  stands  within  the  enclosure  at 
a  corner  of  the  building.  A  fine  portrait  bust  of  Columbus 
is  to  be  seen  here,  which  is  considered  as  authentic  as  a 
likeness  as  any  that  exists,  and  is  said  to  have  been  copied 
by  Vanderlyn  for  his  "Landing  of  Columbus,"  now  in  the 
rotunda  of  the  United  States  Capitol  at  Washington.  Colum- 
bus himself  did  not  land  here,  however,  and  the  events  de- 
scribed took  place  thirteen  years  after  his  death. 

La  Fuerza,  the  Old  Fort.  The  oldest  structure  in  Havana 
is  that  known  as  La  Fuersa,  a  quadrilateral  fortress  with 
bastions,  and  walls  about  seventy-five  feet  high,  surmounted 
by  a  tower  supporting  the  bronze  figure  of  an  Indian  maiden 
known  as  "La  hiahana."  It  was  built  by  a  Spanish  engineer 
under  direction  of  Ferdinand  de  Soto,  in  1538,  the  year 
before  he  sailed  for  Florida.  Here  he  installed  his  wife, 
Doiia  Isabel,  in  his  stead  as  adclantado,  and  here  she  re- 
mained waiting  his  return,  in  the  fourth  year  of  her  vigil 
dying  of  a  broken  heart.  The  old  fortress  took  part  in  the 
several  engagements  with  pirates  and  foreign  invaders ;  it 
was  made  the  treasure-house  for  gold  and  silver  brought 
here  from  Mexico  and  Peru  on  the  way  to  Spain ;  but  now 
exists  only  as  a  relic  of  Havana's  most  interesting  past. 
Suffered  by  the  Havanese  to  fall  into  neglect,  it  was  rescued 
by  the  Americans,  who,  during  the  period  of  intervention, 
dug  out  the  deep  moat  by  which  it  was  originally  surrounded, 
and  which  had  become  filled  with  filth,  restored  wall  and 
drawbridge,  and  detached  it  from  its  environment  of  insig- 
nificant houses,  so  that,  like  Castle  Punta,  it  can  be  appreci- 
ated at  its  full  historic  value.  It  is  open  to  the  public,  and 
from  its  roof  and  tower  a  fine  view  is  afforded  of  city  and 
harbour. 

President's  Palace.  East  of  the  Plaza  rises  the  colon- 
naded fagade  of  the  former  Governor-General's  Palace,  now 
occupied  by  the  President  of  Cuba,  or  by  whatever  ruler  the 
exigencies  of  Cuban  politics  may  have  placed  over  the  people. 


CUBA  8i 

Occupying  a  whole  block,  the  palace  surrounds  a  patio 
filled  with  tropical  flowers  and  shrubbery,  in  the  centre  of 
which  stands  one  of  the  many  statues  erected  to  Columbus, 
a  portrait  of  whom  adorns  the  city  council's  walls.  The 
patio  entrance  is  very  impressive,  and  the  great  court  is 
surrounded  by  arcades,  with  balconies  and  galleries  above, 
while  a  broad  marble  stairway  ascends  to  the  official  recep- 
tion rooms  on  the  third  floor,  chief  among  which  is  the 
Throne  Room,  containing  the  "throne  chair"  surmounted  by 
a  gilded  Spanish  crown.  It  is  emblematical  now  of  what 
once  w^as  and  will  never  be  again,  for  here  took  place  the 
transfer  of  authority  (January  i,  1899)  from  Spain  to  the 
United  States.  Again,  on  ]May  20,  1902  (a  day  now  cele- 
brated as  the  "Cuban  Fourth  of  July"),  the  United  States 
transferred  its  provisional  authority  to  Cuba,  in  the  person 
of  President  T.  Estrada  Palma,  and  the  Cuban  Republic  was 
(as  it  proved,  only  temporarily)   then  established. 

The  Cathedral.  The  foundations  of  the  cathedral,  which 
stands  on  Empedrado  Street,  were  laid  in  1656,  but  the 
structure  was  not  finished  until  1724,  history  tells  us.  It 
is  Latin-Gothic  in  architecture,  built  of  native  limestone, 
which  has  grown  dingy  in  the  lapse  of  years,  and  so  appears 
older  than  it  is.  Though  in  itself  interesting,  it  is  better 
known  as  the  edifice  which  at  one  time  contained  the  re- 
mains of  Christopher  Columbus,  hence  has  been  called  the 
"Columbus  Cathedral."  It  is  claimed  that  the  bones  of  the 
great  discoverer  were  brought  here  in  1795,  from  the  island 
of  Santo  Domingo.  A  full  discussion  of  this  transfer,  to- 
gether with  a  history  of  the  discovery,  will  be  found  in  the 
chapter  on  Santo  Domingo,  to  which  the  reader  is  referred. 
When  Havana  was  evacuated  by  the  Spaniards,  on  the  trans- 
fer of  authority,  in  1899,  these  sacred  relics  were  taken 
from  the  depository  in  the  cathedral  and  carried  to  Spain, 
where  they  were  placed  by  the  side  of  Ferdinand  Columbus, 
in  the  cathedral  of  Seville. 

In  the  Havana  Cathedral  are  shown  a  vacant  niche  and  a 
pretentious  pedestal,  upon  which  once  stood  a  monument  to 
Columbus.  The  niche  was  at  the  left-hand  side  of  the  high 
altar,  where,  beneath  a  cenotaph  once  surmounted  by  a  bust, 
was  the  following  inscription: 


82  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST  INDIES 

"O  restos  e  imagen  del  grande  Colon, 
Mil  sighs  durad  guardados  en  la  urna 
Y  en  la  rcmenibranaa  de  nuestra  nacion." 

These  lines  may  be  paraphrased  as: 

"O  grand  Columbus, 
In  this  urn  enshrined 

A  thousand  centuries  thy  bones  shall  guard ; 
A  thousand  ages  keep  thine  image  fresh, 
In  token  of  a  nation's  gratitude." 

But  image,  urna,  inscription,  all  have  vanished,  and  with 
them  also  the  restos,  or  remains,  which  the  Spaniards  im- 
agined to  be  those  of  the  great  Christopher ;  but  which  were 
probably  those  of  his  second  son,  Diego. 

There  are  several  fine  paintings  in  the  cathedral,  including 
one  depicting  the  Pope  and  his  cardinals  celebrating  mass 
before  the  sailing  of  Columbus,  which  is  ascribed  to  Murilio. 
The  high  altar  is  of  great  beauty  and  composed  of  Italian 
marble,  while  the  floor  immediately  in  front  of  it  is  in 
marble  mosaic.  Visitors  are  allowed  to  inspect  the  em- 
broidered vestments  in  the  robing  room,  application  for 
which  favour  should  be  made  to  the  sacristano. 

Churches.  Havana  is  well  supplied  with  churches,  all  the 
old  ones,  of  course,  being  of  the  Roman  Catholic  faith.  The 
church  of  The  Holy  Angels,  a  fine  Gothic  building,  is  only 
two  squares  from  the  Prado,  on  iMontserrate  Avenue.  La 
Merced,  built  in  1746.  on  Cuba  and  Merced  streets,  is  said 
to  be  the  wealthiest  and  most  aristocratic,  with  fine  oil  paint- 
ings, the  "Last  Supper"  being  noteworthy.  San  Augustin, 
corner  of  Cuba  and  Amargura  streets,  was  formerly  a  mon- 
astery, built  in  1608;  Santa  Clara  pertains  to  a  nunnery — the 
wealthiest  in  Havana — was  founded  in  1644,  and  stands  be- 
tween Lu.':  (Light)  and  Sol  (Sun)  streets.  Santa  Catalina, 
on  O'Reilly  Street,  is  a  convent  church,  built  in  1698,  and 
contains  sacred  relics  in  the  remains  of  martyrs,  which  w^ere 
brought  from  Rome.  Cristo  is  on  Villegas  and  Amargura 
streets,  Santo  Domingo  on  O'Reilly  Street,  and  the  ancient 
church  of  San  Francisco  de  Paula  (with  fagade  of  old 
Spanish  type)  stands  on  Paula  Street,  near  the  harbour 
front.     One  of  the  best  preserved  and  most  picturesque  is 


CUBA  83 

Bclcn,  more  than  200  years  old,  corner  Luz  and  Compostela 
streets,  with  royal  palms  beside  its  tower,  enclosed  by  a 
high  wall.  It  has  a  convent-school  attached,  which  contains 
a  fine  natural  history  collection  illustrating  the  fauna  and 
flora  of  the  island,  and  a  rare  old  library,  all  which  are 
freely  shown  to  visitors.  A  painting  of  the  "Holy  Family" 
above  the  high  altar  of  the  church  is  the  work  of  Ribera,  a 
Spanish  artist  of  repute. 

Protestant  Churches.  Until  the  American  intervention 
Protestant  places  of  worship  were  not  allowed  to  be  con- 
spicuous; but  the  influx  of  Norte  Americanos  caused  a 
change,  for  the  religion  of  the  dominant  people  mainly  was 
Protestant.  Episcopal  church,  Holy  Trinity,  with  services 
in  English,  107  Prado ;  Church  of  Christ,  Arcade  9.  Pasaje 
Hotel,  Prado;  Methodist,  10  Virtudes  Street;  Presbyterian, 
go  Reina  Street;  Baptist,  Dragones  and  Zulueta;  Young 
Men's  Christian  Association,  67  Prado. 

Libraries,  Schools,  Press.  The  leading  scientific  society- 
is  the  Real  Academia,  on  Cuba  Street,  which  publishes  a 
bulletin  and  contains  in  its  museum  excellent  mineralogical, 
anthropological,  and  conchological  collections.  The  Bibli- 
oteca  Nacional,  or  National  Library,  corner  Calle  Chacon  and 
Maestranza,  is  open  every  day  in  the  week  from  8  a.m.  to 
5  P.M.  Its  library  contains  about  20,000  volumes,  and  is 
rich  in  rare  old  books,  dating  as  far  back  as  the  fifteenth  and 
sixteenth  centuries,  among  them  a  Las  Casas,  printed  in 
1552,  and  Benzoni's  History  of  the  New  World,  1565.  The 
Library  of  the  Socicdad  Economica,  62  Dragones  Street,  is 
also  open  to  the  public. 

The  University  of  Havana,  founded  in  1728.  in  the  convent 
of  Santo  Domingo,  back  of  the  President's  Palace  (between 
O'Reilly  and  Obispo  streets),  was  at  one  time  very  famous, 
and  had  as  many  as  2,000  students.  It  has  recently  been  re- 
moved to  the  Pirotecnica  Militar,  a  large  structure  formerly 
occupied  by  the  Spaniards  as  barracks,  on  a  high  hill  to  the 
west  of  the  city,  near  the  Castillo  del  Principe.  Both  his- 
torically and  architecturally  interesting,  the  old  convent  of 
Santo  Domingo,  formerly  the  home  of  the  university,  is 
worthy  of  inspection  and  should  be  visited. 

While  Havana  formerly  possessed  very  fair  schools  of  the 


84  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST   INDIES 

Spanish  type,  and  colleges  of  varied  resources,  it  received 
a  great  and  real  impetus  when  the  United  States  Govern- 
ment of  intervention  took  hold  of  its  antiquated  system  and 
rejuvenated  it  by  an  expenditure  of  not  less  than  $10,000,000. 
The  American  public-school  system  was  founded  on  a  solid 
basis,  attendance  made  compulsory  in  the  primary  depart- 
ments, and  buildings  formerly  used  for  military  purposes 
were  converted  into  colleges  and  academies.  The  American 
Government  did  for  Cuba,  in  fact,  far  more  than  it  ever  did 
for  its  own  people.  It  erected  an  Academy  of  Sciences,  cost 
of  building,  $38,000 ;  founded  a  School  of  Arts  and  Trades, 
$250,000;  and  in  1900  sent  to  the  United  States  for  the  pur- 
pose of  normal  instruction  1,000  Cuban  teachers,  with  200 
more  in  1901. 

Every  department  of  literature  has  had  its  exponent  in 
Havana,  from  science  to  sports,  while  daily  newspapers  are 
relatively  numerous.  All  were  printed  in  Spanish  until  re- 
cently, the  leading  daily  being  La  Lucha,  the  weekly  illus- 
trator of  art  and  the  drama  El  Figaro.  A  "long-felt  waiit" 
of  English-speaking  residents  and  visitors  has  been  "filled" 
by  the  publication  of  the  Havana  Post,  a  daily  newspaper 
of  admirable  spirit  and  enterprise,  which  should  be  con- 
sulted by  all  new  arrivals  for  information  which  this  Guide 
may  lack. 

Clubs,  Recreations.  One  of  the  finest  buildings  in 
Havana  before  the  American  occupation  was  that  of  the 
Spanish  Casino  (Casino  Espafwl),  on  the  Prado,  which  has 
a  membership  of  about  3,000,  possesses  a  fine  collection  of 
paintings,  supports  a  free  academy  of  languages,  and  an- 
nually gives  a  splendid  masquerade  ball,  at  which  the  elite 
of  the  city  are  to  be  iomid. 

The  Club  Centro  Asturiano,  which  was  established  for  the 
benefit  of  Spanish  Asturians,  has  a  membership  of  10,000, 
which  shows  how  numerous  they  are  as  a  class  in  Havana. 
Their  club-house,  opposite  Central  Park,  on  Zulueta  Street, 
is  valued  at  $300,000,  contains  a  ballroom  which  cost  to  fit 
up  $35,000,  and  a  library  of  5,000  volumes.  The  object  of 
the  club  is  mutual  instruction,  medical  assistance  to  members, 
recreation,  sport. 

The  Centro  Dependientes,  or  Business   Clerks'    Club,   has 


CUBA  8s 

aims  in  view  similar  to  those  of  the  Asturianos,  with  a  mem- 
bership of  12,000,  and  occupies  a  fine  marble  club-house  north 
of  Central  Park,  on  the  Prado.  It  maintains  a  sanitarium  in 
the  suburbs  for  members. 

Other  clubs  of  less  note  are  the  German  Club  and  the 
American  Club,  on  Central  Park,  and  the  Union,  on  Zulueta 
Street.  Havana  is  essentially  a  place  for  clubs  to  flourish, 
with   its   lack   of  home   life,   diversions   for   the  young,    etc. 

The  Young  Men's  Christian  Association  has  already  become 
a  permanent  feature  of  Havana  life  and  is  gaining  rapidly  in 
membership  and  wealth.  Ex-President  Palma  was  the  first 
Cuban  to  pay  a  membership  fee,  and  several  high  government 
officials  followed  his  example.  As  in  the  City  of  Mexico 
and  other  Spanish-speaking  places,  the  Association  furnishes 
recreation  as  well  as  instruction  to  many  young  men  who 
would  otherwise  have  no  healthful  amusement  at  all.  Its 
secretary  in  Havana,  by  whose  unwearied  efforts  its  suc- 
cessful formulation  was  assured,  is  Mr.  J.  E.  Hubbard.  Here 
and  at  Camp  Columbia,  in  Havana's  suburb,  where  the 
American  soldiers  are  encamped,  moral  examples  are  fur- 
nished the  natives  of  what  Los  Americanos  can  do  in  the 
matter  of  discipline,   hygiene,  and  physical   training. 

The  chief  recreations  of  the  Havanese  in  the  old  Spanish 
days  were  bull-  and  cock-fighting ;  but  these  have  been  sup- 
pressed by  law,  and  if  the  latter  is  indulged  in  it  must  be 
clandestinely.  Baseball  is  played  with  enthusiasm,  especially 
on  Sunday  afternoons,  the  two  leading  clubs  being  the 
Havana  and  the  Almendares,  the  latter  meeting  on  the 
Pasco  de  Tacon,  opposite  the  Botanic  Gardens,  and  the  for- 
mer at  the  suburb  of  Vcdado. 

Jai  Alai,  or  Juego  de  Pelota.  An  athletic  game,  which 
has  degenerated  into  a  gambling  curse,  is  that  of  the  Basques, 
known  by  them  as  Pelota.  It  is  played  by  professionals  in 
the  great  court,  175  feet  long  by  36  wide,  at  the  corner  of 
Oquendo  and  Concordia  streets,  and  known  as  the  Fronton. 
It  is  so  popular  that  thousands  of  spectators  assemble  to 
witness  it,  and  the  players  (who  perform  three  times  a 
week  in  the  winter,  on  Tuesday  and  Thursday  evenings  and 
Sunday  afternoon)  receive  from  $3,000  to  $5,000  each  as 
salaries  for  the  season.     Its  athletic  feature  is  lost  sight  of 


86  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST   INDIES 

entirely  in  the  rage  for  betting  which  takes  possession  of  the 
spectators,  and  which  has  been  pronounced  by  a  Cuban 
senator  as  a  greater  curse  than  bull-fighting.  Strange  to  say, 
the  stock  company  owning  the  concession  for  running  the 
games  was  promoted  by  the  former  military  governor,  Gen- 
eral Wood,  whose  arduous  labours  in  behalf  of  Cuba  many 
consider  negatived  by  this  single  act.  Jai  Alai  is  extremely 
popular,  however,  and  has  superseded  cock-fighting  and  bull- 
baiting,  which  were  brutal  as  well  as  degrading.  For  a  de- 
scription of  the  game  see  any  cyclopaedia,  under  the  article 
"Pelota."  Tickets  of  admission  $i,  $1.50,  $2;  boxes  for 
six.  $10;  at  hotels. 

Theatres.  Havana  has  several  theatres,  some  of  large 
capacity,  as  the  Payrct,  on  Prado,  near  Central  Park;  Albisu, 
San  Rafael  and  Zulueta;  Cuba,  on  Neptuno  Street;  Alham- 
bra,  on  Virtudes  and  Consulado  streets;  Marti,  Dragones 
and  Zulueta;  Chinese,  on  Zanja  Street.  Largest  and  most 
celebrated  of  all  is  the  National,  formerly  the  Tacon, 
capable  of  seating  3,000,  and  called  the  third  largest  in  the 
world.  It  was  built  seventy  years  ago,  at  a  cost  of  $500,000, 
and  all  the  great  singers  and  actors  have  appeared  here  at 
one  time  or  another,  for  the  Havanese  have  the  reputation 
of  richly  rewarding  their  favourites. 

Streets  and  Houses.  As  for  its  architecture,  in  a  word, 
Havana  is  as  thoroughly  Spanish  as  Madrid,  Seville,  or 
Cadiz.  Its  houses  are  of  massive  construction,  built  of  lime- 
stone or  nianiposteria,  with  immensely  thick  walls,  lofty 
ceilings,  without  glass  in  their  windows,  and  no  chimneys  in 
the  roofs,  which  are  flat  and  afford  fine  promenades.  They 
are  built  around  an  inner  court,  or  patio,  which  is  frequently 
adorned  with  plants,  flowers,  cages  of  singing  birds,  perhaps 
a  fountain.  On  this  floor  are  the  kitchen,  stables,  and  offices 
of  the  owner  (if  he  be  in  trade),  while  above  are  the  sleep- 
ing apartments,  to  which  access  is  had  by  means  of  stone 
staircases  guarded  by  ornamental  balustrades.  One  great 
doorway  and  a  few  windows  open  on  the  street,  the  latter 
defended  by  iron  grillwork,  which  is  sometimes  extremely 
ornate.  Through  these  open  windows  one  may  see  much 
of  the  family  life,  for  the  Havanese  by  no  means  shrink 
from  public  gaze,  and  so  long  as  one  does  not  address  the 


CUBA  87 

occupants  of  the  dwellings  he  transgresses  none  of  the  pro- 
prieties. In  the  old  days  the  windows  of  some  streets  of  a 
night  would  be  filled  with  fair  but  frail  women,  who  did 
not  hesitate  to  reach  forth  their  hands  to  arrest  passers-by 
of  the  other  sex  ;  but  now  the  decencies  are  better  observed— 
at  least  in  the  streets  frequented  by  respectability. 

Spanish  customs  as  well  as  Spanish  architecture  may  be 
studied  here,  and  as  correctly  portrayed  as  in  old  Spain 
itself.  For  the  best  specimens  of  architecture  go  to  the  old 
churches  and  convents ;  for  the  finest  mansions  to  the  Prado, 
Tacon  Paseo  and  the  suburb  of  Jesus  del  Monte;  but  they 
are  scattered  throughout  the  city,  for  the  Hispano-Cubano's 
house  is  his  castle,  impregnable  and  unassailable,  and  he 
cares  not  where  it  is  planted.  It  may  be  surrounded  by 
abominable  filth,  but  he  appears  serenely  unconscious  of  an 
environment  that  would  offend  any  nationality  not  accus- 
tomed to  centuries  of  squalor  and  malodorous  neighbours. 

The  Americans  during  their  short  stay  in  the  island  worked 
wonders  for  Havana  and  Santiago,  as  well  as  for  Cuba  in 
general  and  the  Cubans  are  yet  resentful  because  they  were 
compelled  to  clean  up  their  filthy  cities,  observe  sanitary 
precautions  and  co-operate  with  them  toward  the  extinction 
of  disease  and  plague-spots.  Yellow  fever,  which  had  been 
a  resident  in  Havana  and  Santiago  for  centuries,  was  well- 
nigh  stamped  out ;  but  this  great  work  is  too  well  known  to 
be  more  than  mentioned  here.  The  chief  cities  of  Cuba, 
which  had  been  regarded  as  pest-holes  to  be  shunned  by 
sailors  and  travellers,  were  rendered  healthful  places  of 
residence.  One  of  the  interesting  sights  in  these  cities  is  the 
gathering  of  the  Cuban  "White  Wings"  (as  the  street  clean- 
ers are  called)  for  their  daily  onslaught  upon  the  accumu- 
lated filth,  and  one  of  the  most  beneficial  of  measures  has 
been  the  establishment  of  a  competent  sanitary  squad  for  the 
disinfection  of  dwellings,  slaughter-houses,  etc..  which  until 
the  advent  of  the  Americans  had  not  been  disturbed  since  the 
founding  of  Havana. 

Shopping  District.  Owing  to  its  direct  interests  with 
Spain.  Havana  possesses  many  Spanish  curios,  such  as 
jewelry,  fans  (costing  from  a  few  cents  up  to  more  than 
$100),  mantillas  (which  the  Cuban  and  Spanish  ladies  wear 


88  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST   INDIES 

so  gracefully  making  calls  and  at  morning  mass),  old  coins, 
hand-made  laces,  embroideries — all  which  are  very  cheap  and 
of  excellent  quality,   etc. 

Such  native  products  as  canes  of  precious  woods — ebony, 
mahogany,  royal  palm — manatee  hide  and  sharks'  backbones, 
hats  of  braided  palm-leaves,  cigars,  cigarettes,  featherwork 
(imported  from  Mexico),  shell  and  coral  ornaments,  pink 
pearls,  guava  jelly,  preserves  and  marmalades  of  native 
fruits,  pocket-books  and  belts  of  snake  skin,  and  sometimes 
the  skin  of  the  snake  itself — a  boa  constrictor,  attaining  a 
length  of  twelve  to  sixteen  feet — may  be  found  on  sale  in 
the  shopping  district  and  the  markets. 

Obispo  and  O'Reilly  Streets.  The  best  streets  for  shop- 
ping are  Calles  Obispo  and  O'Reilly,  which  are  convenient  of 
access,  leading  from  the  Central  Park  to  the  Plam  de  Annas. 
They  are  so  narrow  that  carriages  are  allowed  to  go  through 
them  in  only  one  direction,  and  overhung  with  signs  and 
awnings  to  such  an  extent  that  there  is  always  a  shade,  even 
at  midday.  One  might  fancy  himself  passing  through  an 
Oriental  bazaar,  so  varied  and  attractive  are  the  goods  dis- 
played outside  the  doors,  and  so  thoroughly  Spanish  the 
architecture.  These  streets,  as,  indeed,  all  those  of  Havana, 
have  been  made  clean  and  habitable  by  the  energetic  Ameri- 
cans, who  have  repaved  them  with  modern  material,  so  that 
shopping  in  this  section  is  now  a  pleasure.  There  is  also 
a  large  arcade  on  Montscrrate  Square,  where  Spanish  and 
native  goods  are  offered  for  sale  in  great  variety. 

Markets — Street  Vendors.  Of  the  three  principal  markets 
in  the  city,  Tacon  is  the  largest,  Cristina  the  oldest,  and 
Colon  the  newest.  All  are  worth  visiting,  as  here  we  find 
gathered  the  fruits,  vegetables,  and  native  products  of  the 
island.  Cold  storage  was. formerly  a  thing  unknown  in  Cuba, 
and  the  day's  marketing  is  done  in  the  cool  of  the  morning. 
Tacon  market  is  situated  near  Columbus  Square,  and  a  visit 
to  it  will  suffice,  if  time  is  pressing,  for  obtaining  an  im- 
pression of  Cuba's  natural  productions.  Aside  from  the 
markets,  there  are  the  street  \'endors,  who  perambulate  the 
streets,  as  the  lecJiero,  or  milkman,  who  carries  a  very  poor 
quality  of  milk  in  battered  cans  packed  in  panniers,  on  horse- 
back, himself  astride  between  the  cans.    Formerly  fresh  milk 


CUBA  89 

was  obtained  from  cows  driven  through  the  streets  and 
halted  at  the  doors,  where  it  was  drawn  on  the  spot;  but 
this  practice  has  been  discontinued,  as  one  of  the  sanitary 
precautions  of  Los  Americanos.  The  baker  vends  his  prod- 
uct from  horseback  also,  and  likewise  sits  astride  between 
the  loaves,  piled  high  above  his  head,  which  are  not  im- 
proved by  contact  with  his  soiled  shirt  and  pantaloons. 

The  street  peddlers  of  shoes,  laces,  and  every  kind  of  small 
ware  are  almost  innumerable,  vociferous,  and  persistent. 
The  always  open  windows  and  doorways  give  them  great 
opportunities,  which  they  do  not  fail  to  improve,  to  the 
great  inconvenience  of  the  housewife. 

Stacks  of  fodder  may  be  seen  of  a  morning  moving  through 
the  streets  leading  marketward,  without  any  apparent  means 
of  progression  at  first  sight,  but  which  on  examination  reveal, 
beneath,  the  head  and  tail  of  a  diminutive  donkey.  Panniers 
of  fowl  also  are  borne  horse-  and  donkey-back,  as  well  as 
bunches  of  them  tied  together  and  hung  head  downward  from 
the  saddle,  in  which  manner  live  pigs  are  taken  to  market, 
and,  in  fact,  all  small  ''live  stock"  that  is  produced  on  the 
farm  in  the  suburbs.  A  gory  spectacle  of  former  times  was 
the  butcher  on  horseback,  seated  beneath  a  framework  upon 
which  were  suspended  quarters  of  beef  and  bleeding  car- 
cases, proceeding  from  the  slaughter-house  to  market. 

Leading  Hotels. 

Louvre.  San  Rafael  St.  (European  plan) $2.00  up 

Miramar,  Prado  and  Malecon    (European  plan)....  5.00  " 

Throzuer,  yi  Prado  (American  plan) 2.50  "' 

Mascotte,  2S   Oficios  St.   (American  plan) 2.50  " 

Trotcha,  2d  St.,  Vedado  (American  plan) 3.00  " 

Harvey's,  99  Prado  (American  plan) 3.00  '' 

Brooklyn,  97  Prado  (American  plan 3.00  " 

Alcasar,  121  Prado  (American  plan) 3.00  " 

Perla  de  Cuba,  Parque  de  Colon  (American  plan)..  3.00  " 

Inglaterra,  Central  Park  (American  plan) 3.00  " 

Pasaje,  on  the  Prado  (American  plan) 4.00  " 

Telcgrafo,  Central  Park   (American  plan) 5.00  " 

Cafes,  Restaurants,  etc.  Havana,  like  every  large  town 
and  city  in  Cuba,  is  a  place  of  restaurants  and  cafes,  some 
of  which,  especially  on  the  Central  Square  and  Prado,  are 


90  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST   INDIES 

elegant  establishments,  with  lofty  ceilings,  tiled  marble  floors, 
marble-topped  tables,  and  always  open  to  view  from  the 
street.  It  is  the  custom  for  the  Havanese  to  assemble  in 
the  cafes,  the  men  for  coffee  and  rolls  in  the  morning,  men 
and  women  for  refreshing  drinks,  cakes,  and  ices  in  the 
evening.  Cuban  coffee  is  always  made  from  a  well-burned 
bean  and  served  with  hot  salted  milk,  the  waiter  carrying 
a  pot  of  milk  in  one  hand  and  of  coffee  in  the  other. 

In  the  matter  of  refrescos,  or  refreshing  beverages,  the 
Cubans  surpass  all  other  islanders  except  perhaps  the  Porto 
Ricans.  They  concoct  beverages  that  are  perfectly  delicious 
from  native  fruits,  such  as  garapina,  from  the  fermented 
skins  of  pineapples;  naranjada,  or  orangeade;  orchata,  or 
milk  of  almonds;  giiandbana,  or  sour-sop  drink;  ensalada, 
which  literally  is  salad,  a  mixture  of  all  sorts,  with  as  great 
a  variety  as  the  most  elaborate  mint  julep.  A  delicious 
morning  beverage  is  fresh  cocoa  water  drawn  from  the  nut 
a  la  Creole,  but  the  most  popular  "soft  drink"  with  ladies 
and  children  is  aziicarillo  (sugar-water)  or  panal.  A  roll 
made  of  sugar  and  the  w^hite  of  an  tgg,  like  a  big  and  hollow 
stick  of  candy,  is  dissolved  in  a  glass  of  water,  and  this  is 
the  favourite  refresco.  Another  is  pina,  or  pineapple,  crushed 
with  ice  and  sugar;  still  another  limonada,  or  lemonade, 
plain,  or  flavoured  with  cinnamon.  All  these  beverages  are 
wdiolesome,  if  not  drunk  to  excess,  and  everybody  in  the 
middle  and  higher  classes  partakes  of  them,  preferably 
afternoon  and  evening,  sitting  inside  or  outside  the  cafes, 
while  watching  the  threngs  on  the  Prado  and  Central  Park 
and  listening  to  choice  music  by  the  popular  municipal 
band.  Hclados,  ices,  and  mantecados,  or  ice-creams,  are 
abundant  here,  and  delicious,  some  of  the  restaurants  mak- 
ing them  a  specialty.  The  hotels  have  been  already  re- 
ferred to.  The  best  of  them  are  cleanly,  high-priced,  com- 
modious, well  and  conveniently  situated.  They  are  for  the 
most  part  furnished  in  the  Spanish  style,  with  bare  walls, 
tiled  floors,  rugs  instead  of  carpets,  and  the  bedrooms  espe- 
cially meagrely  equipped  in  a  fashion  that  w^ould  satisfy 
the  heart  of  an  anchorite.  The  bed  is  usually  a  cot,  with  or 
without  a  very  thin  mattress,  from  which  only  an  adept  can 
keep  the  sheets  from  sliding  off,  and  canopied  with  mosquito 


CUBA  91 

netting.  The  ordinary  hotel  in  Havana  is  noted  for  the 
lack  of  those  conveniences  which  are  considered  indis- 
pensable in  Northern  countries ;  but  the  best  are  as  thor- 
oughly equipped  v.ith  modern  devices  as  the  most  exacting 
traveller  demands. 

Restaurants  are  numerous,  with  prices  higher  than  for  the 
same  service  in  the  United  States  and  England,  except  for 
certain  dining-rooms  run  on  the  "American  plan,"  and  a 
very  good,  though  cheap,  "hash  house"  kept  by  "Chinese 
John,"  not  far  from  the  Prado. 

Botanical  Garden.  With  more  than  3.000  native  plants  in 
Cuba's  flora,  the  formation  of  a  botanical  garden  meant 
only  the  collecting  together  of  tropical  trees,  ferns,  shrubs, 
etc.,  in  some  convenient  place.  This  has  been  done  at  the 
Botanical  Garden,  on  the  Paseo  de  Carlos  III.,  to  reach 
which  take  the  Principe  street  cars,  which  also  take  one  to 
the  Qiiinta  de  los  Molinos,  or  Summer  Palace  of  the  Presi- 
dent, which  stands  amid  gardens  of  its  own.  adjoining.  The 
Botanical  Garden  contains,  besides  a  magnificent  collection 
of  tropical  trees  and  shrubs,  miniature  cascades,  artificial 
grottoes,  winding  paths,  broad  avenues  palm-enclosed,  etc. 
These  two  attractions  should  by  no  means  be  left  out  of  the 
itinerary. 

The  Paseo  of  Carlos  III.  is  so  called  from  a  statue  of  that 
monarch,  by  Canova,  which  adorns  it.  Another  paseo,  or 
pleasure-drive,  with  macadamized  surface  and  a  shaded 
promenade  on  each  side,  is  the  Paseo  de  Tacon,  which  was 
built  by  the  Governor-General  of  that  name  to  connect  the 
Quinta  with  the  city.  and.  like  that  of  Carlos  III.,  is  a 
favourite  drive  afternoons  and  evenings. 

Cigar  Factories.  Havana  Vv-as  once  noted  for  the  num- 
ber of  its  cigar  and  tobacco  factories,  and  now,  since  the 
"combine"  came  to  power,  it  is  more  than  ever  noted  for 
the  number  of  cigars — probably  an  annual  output  of  90,000.- 
000,  and  twice  as  many  cigarettes — which  it  sends  abroad 
to  be  consumed.  The  main  office  of  the  great  factories  is 
at  10  Zulueta  Street,  where  permits  for  inspection  may  be 
obtained.  The  various  stages  of  the  process  of  converting 
the  crude  leaf  into  finished  "smokes"  may  be  watched  here 
without  exciting  comment,  as  the  workmen  are  accustomed 


92  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST  INDIES 

to  visitors.  After  the  tour  of  the  building  its  roof  should 
be  visited  for  the  magnificent  view  there  offered  over  the 
city. 

Suburbs  of  Havana.  Almost  peerless  as  to  situation, 
Havana  possesses  some  very  interesting  suburbs,  and  offers 
attractive  excursions  to  various  points,  for  the  electric  lines 
now  reach  30  to  40  miles  into  the  country.  Formerly  sur- 
rounded by  a  high  city  wall,  of  which  only  fragments  are  now 
to  be  seen  here  and  there  (as  at  Montserrate  Street  near 
Teniente  Rey  and  Refugio  streets),  modern  Havana  has 
greatly  expanded  within  a  few  years  past.  It  contains  a 
population  of  nearly  300,000,  and  certain  sections  of  it  are 
said  to  be  more  densely  packed  with  people  than  any  other 
city  in  the  New  World.  The  most  prominent  objects  near 
the  city  are  the  forts  by  which  it  is  surrounded,  built  at 
various  periods  of  its  history.  Nearest  to  its  centre  is  the 
Castle  of  Atarcs,  superbly  set  upon  a  circular  hill  command- 
ing both  city  and  harbour.  It  was  built  shortly  after  the 
British  evacuation  in  1763.  Here,  in  1851,  young  Crittenden 
and  fifty  of  his  companions  were  confined  as  prisoners,  and 
for  their  part  in  the  Lopez  filibustering  expedition  were  shot 
to  death  on  the  eastern  glacis  overlooking  the  harbour. 
This  event  is  ignored  by  the  Cubans,  who  have,  however, 
perpetuated  the  names  of  Cuban  patriots  of  a  later  period 
by  means  of  immense  letters  made  with  cannon-balls  on  the 
slope  facing  the  city.  Atares,  which  is  reached  by  tramway, 
fare  5  cents,  is  now  used  as  a  jail.  To  the  same  ignoble 
use  has  been  put  the  Castillo  del  Principe,  which  crowns  a 
high  hill  to  the  west  of  the  city,  the  view  from  which,  as 
also  from  Atares,  is  magnificent.  It  is  reached  by  the  El 
Principe  tram-cars,  and  for  another  fortification,  the  most 
westerly  of  all,  the  Santa  Clara,  take  the  cars  to  the 
Vedado.  Santa  Clara  was  constructed  in  1797.  On  the 
right  of  the  car-line  to  the  Vedado  stood  an  old  battery 
called  the  Chorrera,  which  was  taken  by  the  British  in  1762, 
assisted  by 'the  Colonials  under  General  Israel  Putnam — the 
"Old  Put"  of  Revolutionary  history. 

Morro  Castle  and  Cabanas.  Take  any  electric  car,  or  car- 
riage, to  boat-landing  in  the  harbour,  whence  the  fare  is 
10  cents,  same  for  return.    The  Morro  is  a  sixteenth  century 


CUBA  93 

fortress,  perched  upon  a  headland  commanding  Havana 
harbour,  from  lOO  to  120  feet  above  the  waves,  which  have 
hollowed  the  rock  beneath  into  huge  caverns.  It  is  sur- 
rounded on  the  landward  side  by  a  moat  70  feet  in  depth, 
crossing  which,  over  a  drawbridge,  we  find  ourselves  at  the 
sallyport.  Gloomy  casemates  surround  the  open  central 
space,  and  descending  a  ramp  leading  toward  the  sea  we 
penetrate  to  the  dungeons.  Some  of  them  are  immediately 
over  the  water,  and  from  one  portion  of  the  wall  there  is 
a  steep  chute  through  which,  it  is  said,  the  bodies  of  Cuban 
prisoners,  living  as  well  as  dead,  were  shot  into  the  depths, 
to  what  is  called  the  Jtido  de  tibiirones,  or  sharks'  nest,  down 
below. 

In  the  eastern  wall  a  tablet  is  set,  in  memory  of  Captain 
Velasco,  who  was  killed  in  the  British  attack  upon  the 
Morro,  1762.  Down  by  the  water's  edge  is  the  battery  of 
the  "Twelve  Apostles,"  composed  of  larger  guns  than  any 
in  the  fort,  which  are  neither  ancient  nor  of  great  calibre. 
The  seaward-facing  platform  of  the  fortress  supports  a 
lighthouse,  built  in  1844,  ^^^d  a  well-equipped  signal-station 
with  semaphore  and  flags.  The  view  from  the  ramparts  is 
grand,  comprising  not  only  a  wide  sweep  of  the  open  Gulf, 
but  an  extensive  landscape  including  the  country  around 
Havana,  which  the  Morro  overlooks.  Hewn  partly  from 
the  living  rock,  the  Morro  appears  as  solid  as  the  promontory 
on  which  it  is  set,  and  in  the  old  days  was  considered  im- 
pregnable. It  was,  however,  taken  by  the  British  in  July, 
1762,  after  a  six  weeks'  siege  and  the  loss  of  nearly  2.000 
men.  At  that  time  the  walls  were  mined,  and  through  the 
great  gap  formed  by  an  explosion  of  gunpowder,  the  Brit- 
ish stormed  the  fort  and  took  it,  but  not  before  many  men 
had  fallen,  including  the  gallant  commander,  Velasco. 

As  already  mentioned  in  our  historical  sketch.  Colonial 
troops  from  North  America  took  part  in  this  siege  and  as- 
sault. The  Morro's  guns  were  turned  upon  the  city,  and 
its  capitulation  quickly  brought  about,  though  a  landing  of 
British  forces  had  been  made  at  CJiorrera,  on  the  Vedado 
road,  westward  from  Havana.  A  vast  amount  of  spoil  fell 
to  the  captors,  including  300  cannon.  9  warships,  etc.,  to  the 
amount  of  nearly  $4,000,000. 


94  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST  INDIES 

After  the  departure  of  the  British,  in  1763.  the  Spaniards 
began  work  upon  the  extensive  series  of  fortifications  crown- 
ing the  hill  opposite  Havana,  across  the  harbour,  called  by 
them  and  still  known  as  Cabanas.  A  massive  and  contin- 
uous wall  there  confronts  the  harbour,  but  the  principal  en- 
trance is  on  the  landAvard  side,  where  there  is  a  drawbridge, 
above  which  is  a  gateway  surmounted  by  the  sculptured  arms 
of  Spain,  and  an  inscription  stating  that  this  vast  work  was 
begun  in  1763  and  completed  in  1774,  during  the  reign  of 
Carlos  III.  It  is  a  tradition  that  when  the  king  was  told 
of  its  cost,  $14,000,000,  he  went  to  a  window  of  his  palace 
and  gazed  intently  toward  the  west,  saying  that  in  his  opin- 
ion, after  the  expenditure  of  such  a  vast  sum,  the  walls 
should  be  high  enough  to  be  visible  from  Spain. 

Its  magnitude  is  undeniable,  for  it  is  quite  a  mile  in  length 
and  900  feet  in  breadth,  so  that  a  complete  tour  of  the  Ca- 
banas is  somewhat  fatiguing.  The  entrance-way  used  in 
coming  from  Havana  is  long  and  steep,  on  a  hot  day  ex- 
tremely hard  to  climb.  On  the  right  of  this  roadway  is 
the  "Laurel  Moat,"  so  called  on  account  of  the  laurel  trees 
growing  here,  where  Cuban  patriots  were  shot  by  Spanish 
soldiers.  A  bronze  tablet  marks  the  place — a  beautiful 
memorial — where  these  atrocities  were  committed  in  cold 
blood  by  those  who  should  have  been  friends,  but  were  for 
years  implacable  enemies.  This  is  but  one  spot  of  many 
which  the  Cubans  have  marked  to  denote  the  unspeakable 
deeds  of  Spaniards  in  their  island.  Inside  the  Cabaiias  are 
cells  and  dungeons — the  guides  will  show  them — where  not 
only  native  Cubans,  but  American  HUhustcros,  were  kept 
incomunicado — hidden  from  friends  and  countrymen — until 
taken  out  and  shot,  for  the  crime  of  attempting  to  assist 
in  the  expulsion  of  the  Spanish  oppressors  from  Cuba.  A 
memorial  which  the  Spaniards  themselves  established  of 
their  cruelty  is  seen  across  the  harbour,  in  star-shaped 
Castle  Atares,  where  Crittenden  and  those  fifty  Americans 
were  shot. 

The  Wreck  of  the  Maine.  The  view  from  Cabanas  em- 
braces harbour  and  city,  with  much  of  the  palm-dotted 
country  beyond,  but  the  most  fascinating  object  within  the 
vision  is  the  wreck  of  that  unfortunate  American   warship. 


CUBA  95 

the  Maine.  It  is  hardly  necessary  to  repeat  the  details  of 
this  atrocious  tragedy,  for  "Remember  the  Maine"  became 
the  war-cry  that  sounded  the  dcath-knell  of  Spanish  rule 
in  Cuba ;  and  though  the  author,  or  authors,  of  that  das- 
tardly deed  were  shielded  by  high  authorities,  and  have 
never  been  proclaimed,  the  memory  of  it  will  live  for  cen- 
turies. In  brief:  on  the  night  of  February  15,  1898.  the 
Maine,  which  lay  at  anchor  off  the  Machina  wharf  of 
Havana,  at  a  buoy  to  which  she  was  assigned  by  the  Spanish 
authorities,  was  blown  up  by  a  mine  or  torpedo,  which 
was  officially  proven  to  have  been  exploded  from  the  out- 
side. Of  her  crew  of  328,  a  total  number  of  267  were 
killed,  and  the  battle-ship,  valued  at  $5,000,000,  was  sent  to 
the  bottom  of  the  harbour.  There  she  still  lies,  sinking 
deeper  and  deeper  in  the  foul  mud  of  the  harbour,  at  the 
present  writing  exhibiting  only  a  portion  of  her  upper  works 
and  a  single  mast,  to  which  is  affixed  an  American  flag  at 
half-mast,  as  a  perpetual  reminder  of  the  Spaniards'  infernal 
malignity. 

The  wreck  may  be  visited  by  boat  from  the  Machina 
wharf,  or  any  other  in  the  harbour,  for  a  fee  of  20  cents,  out 
and  return.  Though  an  obstruction  to  navigation  within 
the  harbour,  the  wreck  has  been  allowed  to  remain  there,  in 
about  six  fathoms  of  water,  on  account  of  the  difficulty,  not 
of  removing  her,  but  of  cutting  the  "red  tape"  which  at 
present  prevents  her  removal. 

Colon  Cemetery.  The  bodies  of  the  sailors  recovered 
from  the  wreck  of  the  Maine  were  taken  to  the  Colon 
cemetery,  which  is  on  a  noble  hill  in  the  outskirts  of 
Havana,  west.  It  is  one  of  the  finest  cemeteries  in  America, 
so  far  as  its  monuments  are  concerned,  containing  several 
notable  examples  of  the  sculptor's  art.  At  the  entrance  is 
a  granite  archway  surmounted  by  a  group  of  heroic  figures 
of  which  Columbus — after  whom  the  cemetery  is  named — 
is  the  most  conspicuous,  and  beneath  this  a  sculptured  panel 
representing  the  Crucifixion.  The  notable  monuments  here 
are:  First,  the  Students'  Memorial  marble,  a  draped  shaft, 
with  statues  symbolical  of  Justice  and  History  at  the  base, 
and  with  a  winged  Innocence  emerging  from  a  doorway 
holding  a  tablet   inscribed  Immunis — "Guiltless."     It   is  at 


96  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST   INDIES 

the  left  hand,  within  the  cemetery  a  little  ways,  and  com- 
memorates the  students  of  the  Havana  University  who  were 
massacred  by  the  Spanish  volunteers  in   1871. 

At  the  right  of  the  central  avenue  stands  the  Firemen's 
Monument,  75  feet  high,  elaborately  sculptured,  with 
statues  at  the  four  corners  of  the  pedestal,  and  a  winged 
angel  surmounting  the  shaft.  The  chapel  in  which  prayers 
are  said  for  the  repose  of  the  dead  is  just  beyond,  near 
which,  to  the  right,  is  the  plot  in  which  the  Maine  victims 
were  interred  in  1898,  but  which  have  since  been  removed 
to  Arlington  Cemetery,  near  Washington.  Several  Cuban 
patriots  are  buried  here,  as  General  Calixto  Garcia,  who  died 
in  Washington  in  1899.  and  General  Maximo  Gomez,  who, 
though  born  in  Santo  Domingo,  did  more  for  the  cause  of 
Cuban  freedom  than  any  native  of  the  island  to  which  he 
devoted  the  best  years  of  his  life.  He  died  in  Havana,  in 
1905,  at  the  age  of  sixty-nine. 

The  Colon,  being  a  modern  cemetery,  does  not  display  those 
rows  of  columbaria,  or  "pigeonholes."  so  common  in  Spanish 
burial-places ;  but  these  may  be  found  in  the  old  Espadq 
cemetery,  in  the  rear  of  the  leper  hospital  of  San  Lazaro. 
There  the  custom  has  prevailed  of  renting  the  tombs,  or 
"pigeonholes,"  for  a  term  of  years,  at  the  termination  of 
which  the  remains  are  pitched  into  the  osario,  or  charnel- 
pit,  where  the  bones  were  piled  up  by  the  thousand.  Colon 
cemetery  is  reached  by  the  Universidad-Aduana  line  of 
cars,  fare  5  cents,  or  by  carriage  through  Paseo  de 
Tacon,  fare  $1.50,  and  return  $2.50.    The  cars  are  preferable. 

Jesus  del  Monte  is  in  one  sense  a  suburb  of  Havana, 
though  lying  quite  near  the  city's  heart.  Here  are  some  of 
the  finest  residences,  and  some  of  the  best  views  (from  the 
church  of  Guadalupe),  as  the  hill  here  is  220  feet  in  height. 
It  is  reached  by  the  Jesus  del  Monte  cars.  Another  hill, 
the  eminence,  in  fact,  being  known  as  Cerro  (Hill),  offers 
attractive  views  and  typical  dwellings  of  the  better  class, 
with  a  good  road  leading  hither,  traversed  by  the  Cerro 
cars. 

Chorrera  and  Vedado.  One  of  the  favourite  rides  from 
Havana  is  that  along  the  north  coast  near  the  sea,  to 
Vedado,  or  Residence  Park,  with  its  fine  dwellings,  gardens, 


CUBA  97 

coral  cliffs,  and  bathing-pools  excavated  from  the  solid  rock. 
Near  here  is  the  mouth  of  the  picturesque  Almandares 
River,  boat-excursions  on  which,  offering  tropical  scenery 
along  the  banks,  overhung  with  bamboos,  palms,  and  silk- 
cotton  trees,  are  delightful  experiences.  An  excellent  cal- 
zada,  or  boulevard,  leads  thither.  Carriage  drive,  $i  ;  re- 
turn, $1.50.  Fare  by  Vedado  cars  5  cents;  time,  ten 
minutes. 

Marianao  and  Playa.  Marianao,  on  a  ridge  10  miles 
from  Havana,  is  known  as  the  "cleanest  and  most  attractive 
town  in  Cuba,"  and  is  filled  with  handsome  villas  occupied 
in  the  summer  season  by  Havana's  first  families.  One  may 
reach  it  by  connecting  with  the  Vedado  electrics,  or  by 
train  over  the  Marianao  Railway.     Schedule : 

WEEK  DAYS 
Concha  Station   (Havana)   to  Marianao 

Every  half  hour  from  6  to  11  a.m.  and  4  to  10  p.m. 
Every  hour  from  11  a.m.  to  4  p.m. 
Last  train,  11  p.m. 
Concha  Station  (Havana)  to  the  Playa  (Marianao  Beach) 
Every  hour  from  6  a.m.  to  9  p.m.,  except  7  and  11  a.m. 
and  I.  3  and  7  p.m. 
Marianao  to  Concha  Station   (Havana) 
First  train,  5  a.m.  * 

Every  half  hour  from  6  to  11  a.m.  and  from  4  to  10  p.m. 
Every  hour  from  11  a.m.  to  4  p.m. 
Plaj^a    (Marianao  Beach)    to  Marianao  and  Concha   Station 
(Havana) 
Every  hour  from  5.45  a.m.  to  9.45  p.m..  except  7.45  and 
11.45  A.M.  and  1.45,  3.45  and  7.45  p.m. 

SUNDAYS 
Trains  every  half  hour  to  and  from  Marianao  and  every 

hour  to  and  from  the  Playa  (Marianao  Beach). 
Last  train  {to  Marianao  oiily),  12  p.m. 

FARES — Spanish  Silver 

1st  class        2d  class 
Havana   (Concha  Station)   to  ^Marianao : 

Single  trip $0.20  $0. 10 

Round  trip 40  20 

Havana    (Concha    Station)    to    the    Playa 
(Marianao  Beach)  : 

Single  trip 30  15 

Round  trip 50  30 


98  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST   INDIES 

Marianao  Playa,  or  Beach,  is  the  fashionable  bathing- 
resort  of  Havana,  headquarters  of  the  local  yacht  club, 
just  the  place  for  a  "midwinter  dip,"  and  2  miles  distant 
from  the  town.  The  branch  raihvay  to  this  place  ends  at 
Hoyo  Colorado,  taking  one  through  the  richest  of  pineapple 
and  tobacco  plantations. 

A  trip  usually  taken  in  this  connection  is  that  to  the 
Toledo  ingcnio,  or  sugar-factory,  which,  with  its  improved 
machinery,  vast  building,  and  facilities  for  converting  the 
raw  product  into  the  saccharine  crystals,  should  by  all 
means  be  visited. 

Ingenio  de  Toledo  lies  about  3  miles  from  the  Marianao 
station,  and  permission  to  visit  it  must  be  obtained  at 
the  hotel,  or  from  some  business  house  of  repute.  On 
the  way  to  JNIarianao  by  train  the  fine  suburbs  of  Tulipan, 
Cerro,  Ceiba,  Buenavista,  and  Qiiemados,  are  passed.  In 
going  to  Vedado  by  the  electrics,  an  ancient  relic  of  im- 
portance to  be  observed  is  the  Torreon  de  la  Chorrcra,  a 
fortaleza  built  in  1646,  sometimes  called  the  ."Buccaneer's 
Fort,"  from  the  fact  that  it  was  intended  for  defence  against 
the  corsairs  of  the  Caribbean.  It  was  taken  by  the  English 
in  1762,  before  they  advanced  upon  Havana. 

The  drives  around  Havana'  are  excellent,  and  automobiles 
may  be  hired  for  extended  rides  over  the  smooth  calzadas 
or  macadamized  highways,  many  miles  in  extent,  bordered 
by  glorious  royal  palms.  One  of  the  favourites  is  the  road 
from  Cerro  to  San  Cristobal,  70  miles;  another  from  Jesus 
del  Monte  to  Guines,  40  miles. 

Regla  and  Guanabacoa.  East  of  Havana,  across  the  har- 
bour, and  connected  wuth  the  city  by  a  ferry  from  Luz 
wharf,  lies  Regla,  anciently  notorious  as  a  resort  of  pirates 
and  buccaneers,  but  at  present  possessing  little  interest  to 
the  tourist,  save  as  the  entranceway  to  another  and  finer 
settlement,  that  of  Guanabacoa,  celebrated  for  its  mineral 
springs,  and  at  one  time  a  fashionable  watering-place.  Its 
old  churches  contain  adored  shrines,  and  one  of  them,  that 
of  Potosi,  outside  the  city,  holds  a  "miracle-working 
image,"  resorted  to  annually  by  thousands  of  pilgrims  from 
all  parts  of  Cuba.  From  the  hills  about  Guanabacoa  wide- 
extended  views  offer  of  Havana,  its  harbour,  and  the  coun- 


CUBA  99 

try  contiguous.  A  liquid  bitumen  is  found  among  these 
hills,  which  is  said  to  have  been  discovered  by  Ocampo, 
when  he  circumnavigated  Cuba,  1508,  and  who  (like  Sir 
Walter  Raleigh  at  Trinidad,  ninety  years  later)  used  this 
"natural  pitch"  to  fill  the  seams  of  his  leaking  ships.  Omni- 
buses run  from  town  to  Cojimar,  a  fine  bathing-beach  on 
the  north  shore,  guarded  by  a  quaint  old  fort,  known  as  the 
"Little  Alorro,"  which  was  taken  by  the  English,  1762,  when 
they  landed,  previous  to  their  assault  upon  Alorro  Castle 
and  the  capital. 
The  United  Railways  of  Havana.  Some  of  the  best  ex- 
cursions from  the  capital  can  be  made  over  the  United 
Railways  of  Havana,  an  extensive  and  magnificent  system, 
the  oldest  in  Cuba,  and  one  of  the  oldest  in  America,  having 
been  first  opened  in  1837.  Its  great  station,  the  Villanueva, 
is  the  most  accessible  also,  being  right  in  the  heart  of  the 
city,  near  the  Parquc  de  Colon  and  the  "India"  statue.  Its 
western  branch  running  to  Giianajay,  and  soon  to  be  ex- 
tended to  Bahia  Ho7ida,  traverses  a  typically  picturesque 
country,  passing  through  a  rich  tobacco  region,  dotted  with 
royal  palms,  and  one  of  the  most  highly  cultivated  sections 
of  the  island.  A  ride  over  this  branch  only  will  give  one 
a  good  conception  of  Cuba's  great  agricultural  resources  and 
typical  scenery;  nor  is  it  necessary  to  take  the  long  and 
dusty  journey  to  the  Vuelta  Abajo  region  to  find  tobacco 
growing  on  its  native  Jieath  and  to  study  the  processes  of 
its  culture  and  preparation.  All  this  may  be  done  by  taking 
the  trip  to  G'uanajay,  starting  on  which  early  in  the  morning, 
one  soon  reaches  the  open  country  outside  Havana.  Nine 
miles  out  the  station  of  Vcnto  is  reached,  where  are  the 
springs,  400  in  number,  which  supply  pure  water  for  Havana, 
enclosed  within  a  w^all  of  masonry  60  feet  high.  Hence  the 
Avater  is  conducted  to  the  city,  first  through  a  siphon  under 
the  Almandares  River,  then  by  means  of  an  underground 
aqueduct  to  the  Palatino  Reservoir,  near  Cerro.  In  the  time 
before  this  system  was  installed  all  the  drinking  water  of 
Havana  passed  through  an  open  ditch,  the  Zanja,  a  glimpse 
of  which  as  we  pass  it  on  the  train  is  enough  to  cause  a 
shudder  of  horror,  for  it  is  and  always  was  filled  with  filth 
unspeakable. 


loo  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST   INDIES 

Next  to  the  Vento  in  interest  comes  San  Antonio  dc  las 
Bafios,  23  miles  from  Havana,  with  its  wonderful  "dis- 
appearing river,"  which  flows  at  intervals  underground,  and 
through  a  cave  adorned  with  remarkable  stalagmites  and 
stalactites.  It  is  also  remarkable  for  its  blind  fish,  which 
have  been  made  the  subject  of  scientific  investigation  by 
naturalists. 

Guanajay  and  Maricl,  the  one  an  inland  town  and  the 
other  a  picturesque  port,  are  reached  by  this  railway,  the 
former  distant  36  miles  from  Havana.  It  is  in  the  centre 
of  a  rich  tobacco  region,  a  rolling  country  dotted  with  royal 
palms,  with  broad  acres  of  tobacco  plants  in  various  stages 
of  growth,  and  immense  tobacco  barns  with  palm-thatched 
roofs.  The  town  itself  is  not  interesting,  except  that  it  is 
thoroughly  Cuban  and  typical,  the  junction-place  of  several 
calzadas,  one  of  which  leads  to  Mariely  a  natural  but  little- 
used  port  with  picturesque  shores.  The  railroad  is  projected 
to  BaJtia  Honda,  a  deep-water  port  which  was  often  made 
the  landing-place  of  filibustering  expeditions  in  aid  of  the 
Cuban  insurgents,  and  which  is  now  utilised  by  the  United 
States  as  a  coaling  station. 

South  to  Batabano.  Batabano,  the  "Little  Venice"  of 
Cuba,  a  town  on  stilts,  with  canals  for  streets,  and  occupied 
by  about  6,500  inhabitants,  mainly  spongers  and  fishermen, 
is  on  the  south  coast  of  Cuba,  distant  by  railway  36  miles 
from  Havana.  In  an  hour  and  a  half  one  may  travel  right 
across  the  island  from  north  to  south  and  find  himself  on 
a  swampy  shore  of  the  Caribbean  Sea.  To  be  "exact,  how- 
ever, it  must  be  said  that  the  Gulf  of  Batabano  and  the 
archipelago  of  Los  Canarios  intervene.  Batabano  was  the 
original  Havana,  it  is  said,  the  first  settlers  of  which  re- 
moved to  the  more  eligible  location  in  1519.  It  is  pretty, 
but  not  alluring,  being  visited  by  travellers  mainly  for 
convenience  in  getting  to  points  elsewhere  along  the  south 
coast  and  to  the  famous  Isle  of  Pines.  A  delightful  sea 
trip  from  Batabano  can  be  made  upon  the  steamers  of  the 
Vuelta  Aba  jo  Steamship  Company,  which  leave  Batabano 
every  Monday  and  Thursday  for  Colo  ma.  Pun  fa  de  Cartas, 
Bailen  and  Cortes,  in  the  famous  tobacco-growing  district 
of  Vuelta  Abajo,  province  of  Pinar  del  Rio. 


CUBA  loi 

The  Isle  of  Pines.  On  Sunday  and  Thursday  a  snug 
Httle  boat  departs  for  the  Isle  of  Pines,  60  miles  south.  This 
beautiful  island  is  separated  from  Batabano  by  an  ever- 
tranquil  gulf,  to  sail  the  waters  of  which  is  most  fascinat- 
ing. It  is  30  by  40  miles  in  extent,  contains  800,000 
acres,  one-fourth  of  which  is  low  and  swampy,  the  re- 
mainder high' and  mountainous.  It  has  rich  valleys,  swift- 
running  and  partially  navigable  streams,  and  mineral  springs 
that  have  been  famous  for  their  curative  properties  for 
centuries.  While  the  island  is  entirely  within  the  tropics, 
far  below  the  frost  line,  and  contains  mahogany,  ebony; 
palms,  and  other  tropical  trees,  it  is  celebrated  for  the 
pine  trees,  which  bestow  its  distinctive  name.  The  soil, 
in  the  main,  is  rather  thin,  but  there  are  fertile  tracts,  which, 
soon  after  the  expulsion  of  the  Spaniards,  were  purchased 
by  Americans  for  the  purpose  of  forming  a  colony.  Given 
to  understand  by  the  United  States  Government  that  the 
island  would  become  an  American  possession,  they  expended 
large  sums  of  money  in  its  development,  only  to  be  disap- 
pointed by  the  confirmation  of  Cuba's  title  to  its  ownership. 
But  they  had  proceeded  too  far  to  recede,  and  the  outcome 
has  been  that  American  enterprise  has  regenerated  the  island, 
directed  attention  to  its  resources,  and  opened  up  its  possi- 
bilities. There  are  quarries  of  valuable  marble  in  the  Ccrro 
de  los  Cristales,  or  Crystal  Hills,  which  are  covered  with 
forests  of  valuable  woods,  and  the  climate,  though  hot,  is 
salubrious. 

The  chief  tow^n  and  port  is  Nueva  Gerona,  on  a  river. 
17  miles  inland  from  which  is  Santa  Fe,  reached  by  good 
roads,  with  its  famous  mineral  springs,  the  medicinal  water 
from  which  is  shipped  to  Havana,  where  it  is  extensively 
used.  Capital  has  been  enlisted  for  the  erection  of  modern 
bathing  establishments  here,  and  the  time  is  not  far  distant 
when  these  magnesia  springs  will  be  resorted  to  by  invalids 
from  all  parts  of  America.    There  is  a  hotel  at  Santa  Fe. 

Wild  game  abounds  throughout  the  island,  and  in  the  waters 
adjacent  are  found  vast  numbers  of  tropical  fish,  turtle,  etc. 
The  swamps  of  the  southern  part  abound  in  alligators,  and 
in  former  times  the  lagoons  afforded  hiding-places  for  pirates, 
who  lay  in  wait  here  for  the  treasure-galleons.     It  is  said 


102  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST   INDIES 

that  there  are  more  sunken  wrecks  of  treasure-ships  in  the 
waters  around  the  Isle  of  Pines  than  in  any  other  equal  area 
of  sea  or  ocean  anywhere  in  the  world.  The  island  was  dis- 
covered by  Columbus  and  by  him  called  Evangelista,  its 
modern  name  being  derived  from  its  pine  trees,  which,  ac- 
cording to  Humboldt,  grow  here  at  a  lower  level  than  else- 
where in  the  tropics. 

Pinar  del  Rio  Region.  The  western  end  of  Cuba  is 
known  as  the  Pinar  del  Rio  Province,  the  backbone  of  which 
is  a  range  of  hills  parallel  to  both  coasts,  known  as  the 
Sierra  de  los  Organos,  or  Organ  Mountains.  The  south- 
western end  of  the  province  is  a  rough  but  fascinating  coun- 
try, for  years  the  stronghold  of  insurgents,  with  ports  so 
isolated  that  they  were  visited  only  by  filibusters,  and  in  the 
olden  times  by  buccaneers.  The  crest  of  the  central  moun- 
tains forms  a  watershed  2,000  to  2.500  feet  above  the  sea, 
from  which  run  many  rivers,  and  the  land  slopes  gently  to 
either  coast. 

Vuelta  Abajo.  The  southern  slopes  of  the  Organos 
form  the  celebrated  J'uclta  Abajo  country,  the  region  par 
excellence  for  the  growing  of  choicest  tobacco,  where  soil, 
sunshine  and  climate  unite  to  produce  the  exquisite  Vuelta 
Abajo  leaf,  which  has  never  been  equalled  in  any  other  part 
of  the  world. 

Over  the  Western  Railway.  The  Western  Railway 
of  Cuba,  which  leaves  Havana  at  the  Cristina  Station,  not 
far  from  Atares  Castle,  gives  access  to  all  the  western  coun- 
try, and  offers  special  inducements  for  immigrants,  or 
home-seekers,  and  tourists.  For  parties  of  ten  first-class 
passengers  the  company  will  attach  a  private  car  to  the 
rear  of  the  passenger  train  leaving  Havana  at  7  a.m.,  which 
may  be  reserved  during  the  day  for  the  grand  round  trip, 
Havana  to  Pinar  del  Rio  and  return,  allowing,  about  two 
hours  at  the  latter  place,  reaching  Havana  again  at  6  p.m. 

The  scenery  along  this  route  is  highly  pleasing,  its  special 
feature  being  tropical  products,  among  which  tobacco  and 
coffee,  palms  and  fruit  trees,  predominate.  At  Artemisa  we 
are  reminded  of  the  former  Spanish  occupation  by  remains 
of  the  famous  trocha,  or  military  line  of  forts  and  intrench- 
ments,   which  the   Spaniards   constructed   across   the   island 


CUBA  103 

at  this  point,  to  keep  the  insurgents  from  ranging  it  at  will. 
They  did  not  succeed  very  well,  but  some  of  the  severest 
fights  between  the  combatants  occurred  in  the  Pinar  del  Rio 
Province,  and,  through  the  inhumanities  of  Weyler,  thou- 
-'^ands  of  non-combatants,  innocent  women  and  children 
perished  in  the  places  where  he  held  them  conccntrado.  At 
Candelaria,  about  half-way  the  journey,  glimpses  are  ob- 
tained of  the  picturesque  hill-range  known  as  the  Sierra  de 
los  Organos,  at  the  foot  of  which  is  a  fine  coffee  region. 

In  the  hills  between  Candelaria  and  San  Cristobal  was  a 
famous  patriot  stronghold,  called  Cascarajicara.  To  the 
north  of  Paso  Real  lie  the  famous  medicinal  springs  of  San 
Diego  de  los  Baiios,  the  waters  of  which  are  of  great  curative 
efficacy  in  several  diseases.  An  electric  tramway  connects 
San  Diego  with  the  railway.  The  vegetation  all  along  the 
line  is  rich,  but  in  the  western  district  it  is  peculiar,  owing 
to  the  abundance  of  the  wonderful  "barrel  palms,"  the  bulg- 
ing trunks  of  which  are  used  for  the  purpose  their  name 
would   indicate. 

The  station  of  Herradura  is  in  the  centre  of  a  new  syndi- 
cate colony,  which  has  acquired  some  20,000  acres,  to  be 
devoted  to  the  raising  of  fruits  and  vegetables.  In  this 
district  the  pine  trees  are  very  numerous,  constituting  great 
forests. 

About  107  miles  from  Havana,  the  capital  of  the  province, 
the  city  of  Pinar  del  Rio  is  reached,  which  is  situated  in  the 
heart  of  the  Viielta  Aba  jo  district,  the  product  of  which  has 
made  it  very  famous.  Here  is  grown  the  finest  tobacco  in 
the  world,  the  leaves  of  which  have  made  the  reputation  and 
fortunes  of  many  cultivators  as  well  as  manufacturers. 
While  the  town  itself  is  interesting,  if  one's  stay  must  be 
short  it  should  be  devoted  to  a  trip  to  some  of  the  tobacco 
farms  in  the  Vegas,  which  abound  on  every  side.  There  is 
a  good  hotel  here,  the  "Ricardo,"  and  the  drives  about  the 
country  offer  varied  prospects  of  hills,  valleys,  and  m.oun- 
tains.  Not  only  all  about  Pinar  del  Rio  are  the  Vegas  dedi- 
cated to  tobacco  culture,  but  beyond,  as  far  as  the  railway 
is  at  present  constructed,  a  distance  of  more  than  200  kilo- 
metres from  Havana.  Eventually  it  will  probably  reach 
Guadiana  Bay,  near  the  extreme  western  tip  of  the  island. 


104  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST   INDIES 

SPECIMEN  TIME  TABLE.  WESTERN  RAILWAY 


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NORTH  COAST  OF  CUBA 

Matanzas.  Two  routes  offer  to  Matansas,  port  and  city  on 
the  north  coast,  54  miles  from  Havana;  by  sea  and 
by  land.  The  United  Railways  provides  a  personally  con- 
ducted excursion  from  Havana,  at  a  cost  of  $11,  Matanzas 
and  return ;  children  under  twelve,  $7.50 ;  which  includes  the 
Yumuri  Valley,  Caves  of  Bellamar,  and  lunch  at  Hotel  Paris. 
The  land  journey,  Havana  to  Matanzas,  is  more  than  inter- 
esting— it  is  fascinating ;  but  there  are  no  towns  or  cities  en 
route  at  which  comforts  for  the  traveller  are  provided.  The 
journey,  all  the  way,  is  through  a  fertile  "sugar  country," 
with  palm-dotted  fields  of  vast  expanse;  near  and  distant 
views  of  great  ingenios  with  smoking  chimneys  ;  toiling  teams 
of  oxen  drawing  loads  of  sugar-cane,  and  miles  of  private 
railway  tracks  running  in  every  direction.  The  sea  voyage 
may  be  made  by  steamers  of  the  Spanish  Herrera  Line, 
which  touch  at  nearly  all  ports  as  far  south  and  east  as 
Santiago. 

Approaching  Matanzas  by  sea,  a  famous  landmark  is  first 
seen,  the  Pan  de  Matanzas,  a  sugar-loaf  mountain  1,300  feet 
in  height ;  then  the  lighthouse,  forts,  the  castles  of  Morillo 
and  San  Severino.  Though  surrounded  by  hills,  Matanzas  is 
low-lying,  scarcely  rising  above  100  feet,  and  is  divided  into 
three  parts,  each  division  having  a  distinctive  name.  The 
central  portion,  between  the  Yumuri  and  San  Juan  rivers,  is 
known  as  the  Old  Tozvn;  on  the  north  bank  of  the  Yumuri 
is  Versailles,  and  south  of  the  San  Juan  lies  the  New  Town, 
Pueblo  Nuevo.  The  central  park  of  i\Iatanzas  is  its  Plasa 
de  Lihcrtad,  with  a  fountain,  flowers,  and  the  ever-present 
palms.  The  Governor's  Palace  bounds  the  south  side  of  the 
Plaza ;  the  Casino  Espanol,  or  Spanish  Club,  the  Cuban  Club, 
and  the  Grand  Hotel  Louvre,  the  other  sides. 

Fine  scenery  and  beautiful  drives  are  afforded  by  crossing 
the  Concordia  Bridge  over  the  Yumuri,  passing  through  the 
villa-lined  streets  of  Versailles,  with  marble-columned  and 
porticoed   houses,   profusely   ornamented    with    grilled   win- 


NORTH  COAST  OF  CUBA  107 

clows  and  balconies,  to  the  Pasco  Marti.  This  paseo  is  a 
parked  boulevard,  with  a  statue  of  Ferdinand  II.  at  the  east 
end,  and  a  monument  to  sixty-three  Cuban  patriots,  executed 
here  by  the  Spaniards,  at  the  west  end.  It  overlooks  har- 
bour and  bay,  and  is  continued  by  a  good  military  road  to 
Fort  San  Severino,  where  the  "immortal  mule"  was  slaugh- 
tered at  Sampson's  bombardment  of  Matanzas,  in  1898.  At 
the  bridge  mentioned  is  a  massive  old  church,  with  walls 
20  feet  thick,  and  twin  towers,  which  is  worthy  of  inspection. 
In  Pueblo  Nuevo,  to  reach  which  the  San  Juan  is  crossed 
over  Bclen  Bridge,  we  shall  find  splendid  residences  of  the 
native  magnates,  exquisitely  tinted  in  various  colours,  and 
with    effective   porticoes    supported   by   marble   pillars. 

Yumuri  Valley.  That  Vale  of  Paradise,  the  Yumiin  Val- 
ley, is  best  seen  from  the  erect  of  the  Cumhre,  a  verdant  hill 
which  rises  immediately  above  Matanzas,  crowned  by  the 
chapel  of  Montserrate.  To  reach  the  Ciimhre,  one  should 
charter  a  volante,  a  Cuban  vehicle  with  wheels  6  or  7  feet 
in  diameter,  between  which  the  body  (resembling  the  old 
"one-hoss  shay")  is  hung  low.  with  shafts  of  great  length, 
containing  a  single  horse  as  motive  power.  Another  horse, 
hitched  outside  the  shafts,  is  ridden  by  the  cochcro,  who 
guides  the  vehicle  over  the  deep  ruts  and  boulders  which 
adorn  the  roads  around  Matanzas.  Without  such  a  con- 
veyance as  the  volante,  the  great  feature  of  w-hich  is  elas- 
ticity and  strength,  it  would  be  impossible  to  traverse  these 
terrible  highways. 

Such  a  glorious  view  as  is  outspread  beneath  one  from  the 
Cunibre,  it  is  impossible  to  describe,  for  it  is  one  of  the  most 
beautiful  scenes  the  world  affords.  The  Yumuri  is  a  deep 
and  verdant  basin  enclosed  within  steep  hills,  its  levels  and 
slopes  set  with  royal  palms,  singly  and  in  clumps.  "On  the 
w^ay  thither  one  sees  this  stately  and  graceful  tree,  in  ranks 
and  single  groups;  but  to  know  what  beauty  there  really  is 
in  this  child  of  the  tropics,  one  should  gaze  upon  the  glorious 
creations  of  Yumuri.  White  and  ivory-stemmed,  they  stand 
before  you  in  the  foreground  of  a  vista  transcendently  lovely ; 
they  linger  in  memory  like  the  spirits  of  departed  saints." 
A  silvery  stream  meanders  through  the  valley,  which  breaks 
through  a  gorge  to  the  city ;  and  another  trip  should  be  taken 


io8  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST  INDIES 

along  its  banks,  above  which  are  cliffs,  with  caves  in  their 
faces  once  occupied  by  Cuban  refugees. 

Montserrate  Hermitage.  The  Hermitage  of  Montserrate, 
at  the  Cumbre,  is  of  modern  erection  (1870),  yet  is  held 
a-:  a  sacred  shrine,  many  miracles  having  been  attributed 
to  Our  Lady  of  Montserrate,  as  manifested  by  the  numer- 
ous votive  offerings.  These  include  numerous  crutches,  shell- 
work,  diamond  ear-drops,  painting  of  a  railroad  wreck,  etc. 

The  Caves  of  Bellamar.  In  a  hill  southeast  of  the  city  are 
the  wonderful  Cares  of  Bellamar,  which  were  discovered  in 
1861,  by  a  Chinaman  who  lost  his  crowbar  through  an  aper- 
ture he  was  opening  in  the  earth.  The  name  is  derived 
from  that  of  a  villa  settlement  near,  which  overlooks  the  har- 
bour. ■  The  best  vehicle  for  a  trip  to  Bellamar,  in  fact  the 
only  one  capable  of  carrying  one  comfortably  over  a  por- 
tion of  the  journey,  is  the  zwlante,  which  can  be  hired  in 
Matanzas. 

These  caves  have  been  explored  for  about  3  miles,  and 
descend  to  a  great  depth.  The  aperture  through  which  one 
enters  is  narrow,  and  a  long  flight  of  steps  is  first  encoun- 
tered, after  which  succeed  chambers,  passages,  halls,  etc., 
the  largest  of  which  is  known  as  the  Gothic  Temple,  about 
200  feet  long  by  70  wide,  and  which,  says  one  writer,  "while 
it  far  surpasses  in  richness  and  splendour  the  temple  of  that 
name  in  the  ]\Iammoth  Cave  of  Kentucky,  does  not  equal  it 
in  size  or  solemn  grandeur."  Still,  the  caverns  are  large 
and  deep  enough  to  fatigue  the  ordinary  visitor  in  the  ex- 
ploring. The  domed  ceilings  are  splendid  and  sparkling, 
except  where  the  torches  of  former  times  have  "smooched" 
them.  Now  the  electric  light  "strikes  a  thousand  sparks 
and  flames  in  a  thousand  tints."  The  down-growing  stalac- 
tites and  up-growing  stalagmites  have  coalesced,  in  many 
■places,  into  gigantic  columns,  as  in  the  "Temple,"  where 
they  are  immense. 

The  bridges  and  paths  are  kept  in  good  repair.  The  guides 
are  attentive,  and  seek  to  show  all  the  cave  contains.  Charge 
for  admission,  $1,  which  includes  services  of  guide. 

Leading  Hotels,  Matanzas — 

Grand  Hotel   Louvre,   American  plan,   $2.50  up ;   Euro- 
pean. $1  up. 
Hotel  Paris,  $2.00  up,  American  plan ;  European,  $1  up. 


NORTH  COAST  OF  CUBA  109 

Cardenas  is  a  modern  and  flourishing  city  30  miles  di- 
rectly east  from  Alatanzas,  celebrated  for  its  two  under- 
ground rivers,  which  supply  it  with  water,  and  for  submarine 
deposits  of  asphalt  in  the  harbour.  It  lies  on  a  broad  but 
shallow  bay,  and  is  an  important  station  of  the  United 
Railways.  It  has  a  fine  cathedral,  broad  streets,  and  a 
central  square,  the  P/ara  del  Recreo,  which  contains  a 
statue  of  Columbus,  presented  to  the  city  by  Queen  Isa- 
bella II. 

The  harbour  of  Cardenas  can  hardly  be  called  one,  for  large 
ships  have  to  anchor  15  miles  from  town.  Here  oc- 
curred the  brief  though  brilliant  action  of  ]May  11,  1898,  when 
the  first  American  victims  of  the  late  war,  Ensign  Bagley 
and  four  sailors,  were  killed. 

Not  far  from  Cardenas  is  a  shore  resort  called  El  Vara- 
dero,  with  miles  of  open  sea-beach  where  the  bathing  is 
superb.  ''A  place  of  pretty  chalets  and  hotels,  with  all  the 
beauty  of  the  Florida  seaside  resorts,  but  without  their  tame- 
ness." 

Sagua  la  Grande,  on  a  river  of  this  name,  navigable  for  a 
distance  of  20  miles,  is  an  important  place  commercially, 
but  has  little  of  interest  to  the  traveller  except  he  be  in- 
clined to  fishing  and  shooting.  Its  port  at  the  mouth  of 
the  river,  Isabel  la  Sagua,  like  a  portion  of  Batabano,  is 
built  on  piles  above  the  water,  and  after  the  manner  of  the 
lake-dwellers'  huts  of  Venezuela. 

Nuevitas  is  the  next  harbour  of  importance,  going  east ; 
though  hidden  behind  some  of  the  cays,  which  are  so  numer- 
ous off  the  north  coast,  is  Caibarien,  seaport  of  sugar-pro- 
ducing Remedios,  a  centre  of  large  plantations.  Nuevitas  is 
reached  through  a  sea-river  about  6  miles  long,  and  the  har- 
bour is  so  shallow  that  ships  of  size  must  anchor  more  than 
two  miles  from  the  wharves  where  the  lighters  land.  The 
town  is  uninteresting,  hot.  dirty,  and  without  hotels  suitable 
for  American  or  English  travellers.  Fishing  in  its  harbour 
is  good,  tarpon  being  caught  here.  Sponges  are  obtained 
on  the  reefs,  and  sugar  in  vast  quantity  comes  down  from 
the  interior  for  shipment.  It  is  the  shipping-port  of  Cavia- 
giicy,  or  Puerto  Principe,  with  which  it  is  connected  by 
rail. 


no  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST  INDIES 

Pouch-shaped  Harbours.  Between  Cardenas  and  Nue- 
vitas,  the  north  coast  of  Cuba  is  defended  by  hundreds  of 
cayos  and  barrier-reefs,  formerly  the  haunts  of  pirates,  now 
the  chosen  resorts  of  fishermen  and  spongers.  Behind  these 
are  landlocked  harbours,  most  of  them  shallow,  but  secure 
against  the  hurricane,  and  with  long  stretches  of  sound,  a 
perfect  sailing-ground  for  yachtsmen.  The  port  of  San 
Fernando,  behind  the  island  of  Tiirugiiiana,  is  the  northern 
outlet  for  the  railroad  that  crosses  the  island  from  Jucaro. 

Situated  about  50  miles  westerly  from  Nuevitas,  on  Guanaja 
Bay,  is  the  large  and  highly  successful  American  colony  of 
La  Gloria,  comprising  1,000  population,  mostly  English- 
speaking  colonists. 

La  Gloria  is  a  pioneer  among  colonies  in  this  island,  having 
been  laid  out  in  1899,  and  its  situation,  in  the  vast  and  fertile 
Cubitas  Valley,  wath  a  frost'.ess  climate,  permits  the  raising 
of  all  tropical  fruits  with  great  success.  A  small  steamer 
connects  with  Nuevitas;  fare  $1.50. 

Beyond  Nuevitas,  easterly,  there  are  scores  of  most  inter- 
esting harbours,  with  narrow  entrances  between  coral  cays, 
pouch-shaped  and  deep-watered,  like  Manati,  with  a  grand 
hill  inland,  and  Puerto  Padre,  which  latter  is  of  importance 
as  the  shipping-port  of  the  Chaparra  sugar-mill,  one  of  the 
largest  in  the  world.  Otherwise  the  port  is  uninteresting; 
but  the  same  cannot  be  said  of  the  next  one,  which  is  the 
port  of  Gihara,  a  calling-place  of  the  American  Munson  Line. 

Gibara  is  thought  to  be  the  first  port  entered  by  Columbus, 
on  his  first  arrival  at  the  Cuban  coast,  in  1492.  This  is  as- 
sumed from  the  allusion  in  his  Journal  to  three  striking  ele- 
vations inland,  known  from  their  configuration  as  the  Silla, 
or  Saddle;  the  Pan.  or  Sugar-loaf;  and  the  Tabla,  or  Table. 
Unlike  most  of  the  hills  around  Gibara,  these  are  densely 
wooded  on  their  lower  slopes,  but  with  summits  steep  and 
scarped,  and  at  sunset  shining  like  the  granite  crown  of 
Mount  Chocorua  in  New  Hampshire. 

Gibara  town  occupies  a  steep  slope  along  the  bay,  crescent- 
shaped,  surrounded  by  a  high  wall  of  masonry  with  watch- 
towers,  built  as  a  protection  against  the  insurgents.  It  was 
ultra-Spanish,  and  its  charming  villas,  tinted  in  rainbow 
colours,  were  occupied  by  foreigners,  most  of  whom  have 


NORTH  COAST  OF  CUBA  in 

departed.  The  wall  and  old  fort,  San  Fernando,  have  gone 
to  ruin,  but  the  lovely  dwellings  remain,  with  their  tints 
of  red,  pink,  blue,  and  yellow  vying  in  brilliancy  with  the 
old  cathedral,  which  is  a  mellow  cream,  with  red-tiled  domes 
and  towers.  There  is  a  little  plaza  here,  and  an  apology  for 
a  hotel. 

Holguin.  A  railway  20  miles  in  length  leads  to  the  inland 
town  of  Holguin,  where,  during  Spanish  occupancy  of  the 
island,  the  Spanish  troops  were  quartered  for  acclimatisa- 
tion. It  was  from  this  point  that  General  Prando  marched, 
with  5,000  men,  to  the  relief  of  Santiago,  in  1898,  leaving,  it 
is  said,  10,000  more  behind.  After  the  Spaniards  had  been 
driven  from  the  town  more  than  3,000  cases  of  smallpox  were 
found  here,  and  the  streets  were  in  such  a  filthy  condition 
that  the  incoming  Americans  were  months  in  cleansing  them, 
as  well  as  the  houses.  The  old  watch-tower  on  the  hill  is 
a  reminder  of  war  times.  Here,  also,  stands  a  cross,  to  which, 
annually,  the  first  day  of  May,  thousands  of  country  people 
make  a  pilgrimage.  The  town  disports  its  architecture  in 
coats  of  many  colours,  rivalling  the  famous  coat  of  Joseph, 
and  it  has  three  plazas  for  the  delectation  of  its  people. 
There  is  a  fonda,  or  native  hotel,  in  Holguin,  which  has 
daily  volante  connection  with  the  great  Cuba  Railroad  at 
Cacocum.  Elevated  in  situation,  sufficiently  isolated  to  af- 
ford delightful  character  studies  for  the  stranger,  and  with 
a  charming  old  church  {San  Jose),  Holguin  is  an  inviting 
place  to  visit. 

Naranjo  and  Nipe.  Deep-water  ports,  backed  by  fertile 
sugar-cane  country  of  surpassing  richness,  abound  on  this 
north  coast,  and  one  of  the  most  charming  is  Naranjo,  or 
Port  Orange,  the  outlet  of  the  vast  estate  of  Santa  Lucia. 
From  the  inland  wilderness  flows  a  tropical  stream  of  great 
beauty.  On  the  eastern  side  of  a  pear-shaped  peninsula  lies 
the  port  of  Bancs,  and  rounding  still  another,  the  largest 
and  finest  harbour  on  the  north  coast  opens  to  view — 
sufficiently  large  to  float  the  navies  of  the  w^orld.  with  a 
depth   in   mid-channel,    it   is   said,   of   nearly   200  feet. 

This  is  Nipe  Bay,  until  a  few  years  ago  known  only  to  the 
fisherman  and  the  filibuster;  in  the  early  part  of  the  Spanish- 
American  War  a  scene  of  encounter  between  Sampson's  war- 


112  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST   INDIES 

ships  and  two  Spanish  gunboats,  the  wrecks  of  which  lie 
within  the  harbour.  Nipe  Bay  has  been  selected  by  Sir  Wm. 
Van  Home,  the  builder  of  the  Cuba  Railway,  as  the  site  of 
a  winter  resort  that  shall  rival  any  of  its  kind  on  the  coast 
of  Florida.  Here  he  has  planned  a  great  hotel  to  be  the  com- 
plement of  his  caravanseries  at  Havana,  Camaguey,  and 
Santiago ;  two  on  the  north  coast  of  Cuba,  one  inland, 
and  one  on  the  south  coast.  Nipe  Bay  has  certainly  many 
natural  attractions,  for  here  is  an  inland  tropical  sea,  17 
miles  long  by  8  miles  broad ;  three  degrees  farther  into  the 
tropics  than  Havana,  and  one  day  nearer  to  New  York,  di- 
rect. By  building  a  branch  from  the  "Cuba"  main  line 
almost  directly  northward  from  Alto  Cedro,  Sir  Wm.  Van 
Home  brought  his  colony  site  at  Antilla,  in  the  southwestern 
corner  of  the  bay,  in  touch  with  all  parts  of  the  island. 
Great  forests  lie  inland,  vast  sugar  and  banana  plantations 
invest  the  shores  of  Nipe,  waterfalls  shine  like  silver  threads 
on  the  mountain-sides,  still-water  bathing  offers  right  at 
hand,-  and,  with  its  six-mile  frontage  and  50,000  acres,  An- 
tilla has  a  flourishing  future  before  it. 
The  ports  of  Banes,  Nipe  and  Cabonico  form  a  triple  group 
which  may  some  day  be  connected  by  artificial  channels, 
for  capital  has  been  enlisted  here  in  unstinted  measure.  This 
region  is  being  exploited  by  the  United  Fruit  Company 
people  of  Boston,  Massachusetts,  who  always  do  things  on 
the  grandest  scale.  A  large  sugar  mill  belonging  to  them 
has  been  in  successful  operation  for  several  years,  and  an- 
other much  larger,  said  to  be  the  largest  in  the  world,  was 
recently  completed  at  Point  Tahaco,  on  the  south  side  of 
Nipe  Bay.  Connected  with  it  are  20  square  miles  of 
cane  land,  and  in  a  single  year,  between  September  i,  1905, 
and  the  latter  part  of  1906,  a  town  of  300  buildings  and  1,500 
inhabitants  sprang  up  as  if  by  magic.  This  is  the  town 
of  Preston,  named  after  the  president  of  the  Nipe  Bay  Com- 
pany. A  hotel  here,  built  for  the  accommodation  of  the 
company's  employees,  is  open  to  the  public,  with  excellent 
rooms  and  service,  at  very  low  rates.  Although  Nipe  Bay, 
as  already  mentioned,  is  a  relatively  recent  discovery,  it 
now  has  collected  around  it  a  population  of  some  50,000, 
while  large  towns^   like  Banes,  Punta   Tabaco,  and  Saetia, 


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A  Watch-tower  on  the  Trocha 


NORTH  COAST  OF  CUBA  113 

have  grown  up  with  great  rapidity.  The  fruit  shipments 
from  the  region  are  immense,  and  constantly  increasing,  em- 
ploying many  steamers  of  the  United  Company's  large  fleet, 
already  the  largest  in  the  Caribbean  Sea. 

Antilla,  which  is  the  north-coast  terminus  of  the  Cuba 
Railway,  is  beautifully  situated  on  Corojal  Bay,  in  the 
northwest  angle  of  Nipe  Bay,  and  here  extensive  wharves 
and  other  terminal  facilities  have  already  been  provided  by 
the  company,  and  are  being  largely  increased.  The  city  site 
belongs  to  the  Cuba  Company,  which  aims  at  erecting  here 
a  large  and  beautiful  city.  Antilla  is  about  80  miles  nearer 
New  York  than  is  Havana,  in  a  direct  line.  By  arrangement 
between  the  well-known  Munson  Line  of  steamers  and  the 
Cuba  Company,  through  tickets  may  be  purchased  in  New 
York  for  any  point  on  the  Cuba  Railway,  via  Nipe  and 
Antilla.  The  Munson  Line  has  established  direct  sailings 
between  New  York  and  Nipe  Bay,  each  way  twice  a  month, 
leaving  New  York  alternate  Wednesdays,  and  Nipe  Bay 
alternate  Fridays,  after  visiting  all  the  prettiest  ports  on  the 
north  coast.  By  this  cooperation  between  the  railway 
and  steamship  line,  a  new  and  fascinating  region  is 
thrown  open  to  the  traveller.  The  steamers  are  above  3.000 
tons,  with  first-class  accommodations,  and  perform  the  voy- 
age in  four  to  five  days.  Following  is  a  specimen  schedule : 
New  York  to  Antilla,  Nipe  Bay,  direct ;  thence  Nuevitas, 
Gibara,  Vita,  and  Puerto  Padre.  Homeward :  Nuevitas, 
Antilla,  New  York  direct.  Alternate  routes  are  reversed. 
Passengers  holding  continuous  round-trip  tickets  are  en- 
titled to  sleep  and  take  their  meals  on  board  ship  while  in 
various  ports  ;  those  holding  one-way  tickets,  who  desire  to 
remain  aboard  after  arrival  at  port  of  destination,  may  do 
so  on  payment  of  $4  per  day.  Letters  of  credit  are  issued 
by  this  line,  available  in  all  Cuban  ports. 


114  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST   INDIES 

RATES  OF  PASSAGE 

U.  S.  Currency 

First  Cabin  Intermediate 

Out       Return  Out    Return 

New  York  and  Nipe $30.00        55  $20.00        35 

New  York  and  Nuevitas 30.00        55  20.00        35 

New  York  and  Puerto  Padre.       40.00         .  .  30.00 

New  York  and  Gibara 40.00        75  30.00        55 

New  York  and  Banes 40.00         ..  30.00 

Deck  Staterooms,  19,  20,  21  and  2^,  $5.00 
each  person  additional. 


COASTWISE  RATES 

U.  S.  Currency 

First  Cabin  Inter- 
mediate 

Nipe  and  Nuevitas $16.00  $11.00 

Nipe  and  Puerto  Padre 16.00  11.00 

Nipe  and  Gibara 12.00  8.00 

Nipe  and  Vita 7.00  5.00 

Nuevitas  and  Puerto  Padre 8.00  6.00 

Nuevitas  and  Gibara 8 .  00  6 .  00 

Nuevitas  and  Vita 8.00  6.00 

Puerto   Padre  and   Gibara 8.00  6.00 

Puerto  Padre  and  Vita 8.00  6.00 

Gibara  and  Vita 3 .  00  2 .  00 


NORTH  COAST  OF  CUBA 

THE    CUBA    RAILROAD 
Antilla  (Nipe)   Branch 


115 


READ  DOWN 

Distance  from 
Alto  Cedro 

STATIONS 

READ  UP 

Miles 

Kilo- 
metres 

A.M. 

9.30 
10.09 
10.47 
11.14 
11.30 

P.M. 

7.40 

8.ig 

9.24 
g.40 

0 
10 

'9 

26 

31 

0 
16 
3' 
42 
50 

Lv Alto  Cedro. .  ..-Jr. 

Cueto 

A.M. 
8.00 
7.22 
6.44 
6.17 
6.00 

P.M. 
6.00 
5.22 

4-44 
4.17 
4.00 

Herrera 

Dumois     

^r...  Antilla Lv. 

Fishing  and  Hunting.  All  the  inlets  of  this  north  coast 
abound  with  rare  fish  :  red  snapper,  Spanish  mackerel,  silver- 
sided  tarpon,  sixty-pound  chenia;  the  aguja,  sometimes 
weighing  half  a  thousand  pounds ;  the  ronca,  which  is  said 
to  "play  possum"  and  snore  when  lifted  from  the  water. 
In  all,  there  are  640  species  of  fish  in  Cuban  waters,  besides 
huge  lobsters,  tree-growing  oysters,  and  in  the  streams  fine 
crayfish,  or  camarones.  Game,  too.  is  abundant,  especially 
in  the  province  of  Santiago,  which  extends  over  nearly  one- 
fourth  the  island,  the  entire  eastern  end.  from  the  north 
shore  to  the  south.  This  is  the  home  of  Cuba's  only  indige- 
nous quadruped,  the  Hutia,  which  has  been  described  as  a 
'"cross  between  a  rat  and  a  woodchuck."  lives  mainly  in  trees, 
and  may  be  killed  with  a  stick  or  a  stone.  In  the  forests 
through  which  runs  the  Mayari  River,  a  stream  that  empties 
into  the  great  bay  opposite  Antilla,  are  numerous  deer,  wild 
boar,  boa-constrictors,  parrots  and  pigeons ;  at  the  mouth 
of  the  river  alligators,  and  in  the  bay  sharks  and  porpoise 
enough  to  afford  great  sport.  Wild  guinea-fowl,  quail,  rab- 
bits, ducks,  are  found  in  the  fields,  and  there  is  one  species 
of  duck  that  feeds  in  the  royal  palms,  as  well  as  in  berry- 
bearing  trees  in  swampy  sections,  where  it  is  shot  by  the 
light  of  the  moon. 

The  Port  of  Baracoa.  Eastward  from  Nipe  is  a  fascinat- 
ing country  for  the  explorer,  for  the  hunter  and  botanist; 


ii6  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST   INDIES 

though  it  is  hardly  civilised  enough  for  the  traveller  without 
some  special  incentive.  The  general  tourist  will  find  a  lack 
of  hotels,  for  there  is  not  a  good  one  all  around  the  coast 
until  Santiago  de  Cuba  is  reached,  which  lies  directly  south 
of  Nipe  Bay  and  Antilla.  But  at  Baracoa  so  fine  is  the 
scenery  immediately  adjacent,  so  grand  the  hills  and  moun- 
tain-forms of  the  interior,  so  crystal-clear  the  streams,  so 
graceful,  the  cocoa-palms — which  here  take  the  place  of  the 
"royals" — that  one  might  be  willing  to  dispense  with  hotels 
for  a  while,  and  camp  in  the  forests.  Baracoa,  the  eastern- 
most port  of  account  in  Cuba,  has  a  landlocked,  circular  har- 
bour, with  a  table-topped  mountain  overlooking  it — Yiinque, 
or  Anvil  Hill — rising  with  scarped  sides  to  a  height  of  2,000 
feet.  It  was  discovered  by  Columbus,  1492,  who  wrote  in 
his  Journal  that  a  thousand  tongues  would  not  sufiice  to  de- 
scribe the  things  he  saw  here  of  beauty  and  novelty,  for  "it 
was  all  like  a  scene  of  enchantment." 

Enticed  hither  by  the  glowing  descriptions  of  Columbus, 
Diego  Velasquez,  who  had  been  sent  to  subjugate  Cuba  and 
colonise  it  by  Don  Diego  Columbus,  Christopher's  son, 
founded  a  settlement  here  in  151 1.  It  was  the  first 
in  Cuba,  and  was  followed  by  that  of  Santiago,  in  15 14. 
A  fort  was  built,  the  walls  of  which  still  rise  conspicuously 
above  the  town,  which  itself  occupies  crescent-shaped  bays 
and  a  small  peninsula.  Great  groves  of  cocoa-palms  fill 
the  valleys  running  back  to  the  hills,  line  the  beaches,  and 
overtop  the  huts  and  houses.  Millions  of  cocoanuts  are 
shipped  from  Baracoa,  and  millions  more  of  bananas,  the 
great  plantations  supplying  the  markets  of  the  United  States 
with  the  choicest  fruit.  The  country  contiguous  to  the  har- 
bour is  almost  too  rugged  for  roads,  and  from  the  crests 
of  cliff-like  hills  long  trolley-wires  are  stretched  to  the 
shore,  over  which  the  bunches  of  bananas  swiftly  descend  by 
gravity.  The  stores  of  Baracoa  are  large  and  well  stocked, 
and,  though  there  is  not  a  very  good  hotel  in  the  place,  a 
would-be  explorer  might  outfit  here  for  a  fascinating  trip 
into  the  country.  Briefly  outlined,  it  would  be:  New  York 
to  Baracoa  by  a  JMunson  Line  steamer;  en  route  stopping  at 
the  ports  betw^een  Nuevitas  and  Baracoa,  inclusive,  with 
about  two  days  in  each.    A  Cuban  guide  and  horse  can  be 


NORTH  COAST  OF  CUBA  117 

obtained  here,  together  with  all  the  equipment  necessary 
for  a  stay  of  any  length.  Following  the  custom  of 
the  natives,  one  might  ride  a  bullock,  than  which  there  is 
no  surer-footed  animal,  except  it  be  a  mule.  In  the  winter 
season  a  trip  of  this  sort  would  be  perfectly  feasible,  for 
the  trails  would  be  dry,  the  streams  fordable,  the  tempera- 
ture agreeable. 


SOUTH  COAST 

Guantanamo.  Voyaging  from  Cape  Maisi,  the  easternmost 
point  of  Cuba,  to  the  westward,  a  vast  difference  is  noted 
between  the  north  coast  and  the  south.  The  forests  are  ab- 
sent, the  shore  rises  in  terraces,  there  are  fewer  harbours, 
and  until  Gua^itanamo  is  seen,  none  at  all  of  any  importance. 
But  Guantanamo,  which  lies  about  40  miles  to  the  east  of 
Santiago,  has  a  magnificent  harbour,  the  bay  being  some 
4  miles  wide  by  10  long,  with  deep  water,  sheltered  by  the 
hills  from  hurricanes,  and  ample  enough  to  accommodate  all 
the  ships  of  a  first-class  navy.  It  is  a  lonesome  place,  and 
since  its  acquisition  by  the  United  States  as  a  naval  station, 
many  a  poor  "Jack"  has  wished  it  had  never  been  discovered. 
It  was  first  found  out  by  the  Spaniards  who  came  here  from 
Santo  Domingo  in  151 1,  and  was  long  a  rendezvous  for 
pirates  and  buccaneers,  who  lay  in  wait  here  for  the  gal- 
leons coming  up  from  the  Spanish  ]Main,  and  merchant  ves- 
sels bound  for  Santiago  de  Cuba. 
In  1741  it  was  made  a  base  of  operations  against  Santiago 
by  the  British  Admiral  Vernon,  who  failed  in  his  attempt, 
because  of  the  distance  and  difficulties  in  the  way  of  an  over- 
land attack.  He  had  with  him.  among  other  Americans. 
Lawrence  Washington,  who  named  after  his  beloved  Ad- 
miral Vernon  the  estate  on  the  Potomac,  which  subsequently 
became  the  property  of  his  brother,  George,  first  President  of 
the  United  States.  Guantanamo  existed  pretty  much  in  soli- 
tude until  the  beginning  of  the  Hispano-American  War,  of 
1898,  when,  in  June  of  that  year,  600  American  marines 
landed  on  the  sand-hills  at  the  mouth  of  the  great  har- 
bour and  drove  off  the  Spaniards  in  possession.  Admiral 
Sampson  saw  its  advantages  as  a  secure  naval  base  in  his 
operations  against  Santiago,  and  it  became  so  well  known 
that  any  further  description  would  seem  superfluous.  A 
railroad  runs  from  Caimanera.  near  the  entrance,  to  the  town 
of  Guantanamo.  and  small  steamers  make  occasional  trips 
from  Santiago,  with  which,  in  the  near  future,  it  is  to  be 
connected  h\  rail,  direct. 


SOUTH  COAST  119 

The  Cuba  Railway  is  to  connect  with  Guantanamo.  by  a 
branch  from  Moran,  on  the  main  line,  this  branch  having  been 
built  already  as  far  as  La  Maya.  It  will  swing  around 
through  the  famous  coffee  region  north  and  west  of  Guan- 
tanamo, where  the  first  settlers  located  many,  many  years 
ago.  This  is  the  best  section  for  growing  Cuban  coffee, 
spices,  etc.,  and  is  also  very  picturesque.  To  reach  it,  take 
train  from  Cuba  Railway  station,  Santiago  de  Cuba,  to  La 
Maya,  whence  carriage  connection  to  whatever  locality  it  is 
desired  to  reach. 

Daiquiri.  On  the  Spanish  maps,  Daiquiri  is  put  down  as  a 
stirgidero,  or  anchorage-place,  merely,  and  such  it  was  when 
General  Shafter  landed  United  States  troops  off  this  lone- 
some spot,  in  June,  1898.  For  a  while  it  stood  out  con- 
spicuously, and  thousands  of  soldiers,  thousands  of  tons  of 
supplies,  munitions,  etc.,  were  sent  ashore  through  its  roll- 
ing surfs.  But  after  the  war  was  over  Daiquiri  sank  into  its 
wonted  insignificance,  and  will  probably  be  heard  of  no  more. 
It  is  about  midway  between  Guantanamo  and   Santiago. 

Santiago  de  Cuba.  The  finest  harbour  in  Cuba,  taking  into 
consideration  its  magnitude  and  magnificent  natural  de- 
fences, is  that  of  Santiago  de  Cuba,  with  an  entrance  less 
than  600  feet  in  width,  and  an  inner  bay  6  miles  long  by 
3  miles  wide.  On  the  right,  as  you  enter,  rises  a  rocky  prom- 
ontory 200  feet  in  height,  crowned  by  historic  Morro  Castle, 
from  one  point  of  view  fitting  into  its  position  like  the  cap- 
stone to  a  pyramid.  The  seaward  face  of  this  vast,  impreg- 
nable clifY  has  been  hollowed  into  caverns  by  the  waves  of 
countless  centuries,  but  it  is  steep  and  inaccessible.  On  the 
left  of  the  entrance  is  La  Socapa,  and  on  the  right  again, 
within  the  harbour,  are  Estrella  Point  and  Battery,  further 
in  being  the  Punia  Gorda  battery,  which,  together  with  the 
Morro,  Admiral  Sampson  "silenced"  the  fire  of  many  times, 
yet  dared  not  run  his  ships  within  the  entrance. 

It  was  not,  however,  so  much  the  old  rock  fort  perched 
upon  the  crag  that  the  admiral  feared,  as  the  submarine 
mines  in  the  harbour.  Then  again,  after  Lieutenant  Hob- 
son  and  his  seven  companions  sank  the  Mcrrimac  (June  3, 
1898),  the  Yankee  hulk  was  as  much  in  the  way  of  Samp- 
son's fleet  as  in  that  of  Cervera,  w^ho  was  then  ensconced 


I20  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST   INDIES 

within.  The  wreck  of  the  Mcrrimac  lies  within  the  en- 
trance, in  line  between  it  and  the  Cayo  Smith,  or  Smith's 
Key,  an  insular  hill  supporting  a  red-tiled  hamlet  and 
crowned  by  a  chapel.  After  we  have  entered  this  harbour, 
which  merits  the  name  of  Escondido — or  "hidden" — as  much 
as  another  port  to  the  eastward  that  bears  this  appellation, 
we  understand  how  it  was  that  Admiral  Cervera  remained 
securely  concealed  from  sight  of  those  without,  on  the  war- 
ships. During  more  than  forty  days  he  lay  there,  before 
he  was  forced  from  his  hole,  like  a  fox  smoked  out  of  his 
burrow,  and  then  it  was  not  the  Americans  who  did  it,  but 
the  Spaniards.  The  former  quickly  settled  scores  with  him 
and  his  warships,  once  they  got  their  great  guns  trained 
upon  his  unfortunate  squadron,  and  what  they  did  to  him 
and  to  them  is  a  matter  of  history.  They  could  make  no 
impression  upon  old  Morro,  it  seems,  though  a  thousand 
tons  of  shot  and  shell  were  cast  at  it — though  a  "Vesuvius" 
belched  flame  and  shook  the  shores  with  her  thunderings; 
but  the  wrecks  of  gallant  battleships,  that  soon  after  strewed 
the  coast  to  the  westward,  told  a  different  tale,  indeed. 
Morro  Castle.  The  Morro  fortifications  were  begun  soon 
after  the  founding  of  Santiago,  in  the  second  decade  of  the 
sixteenth  century ;  but,  notwithstanding  their  strength  of 
position,  did  not  suffice  to  keep  away  the  buccaneers,  who 
attacked  and  carried  them  by  storm  in  1537,  1553,  and  1592. 
In  the  year  1662  they  were  taken  by  a  British  force  under 
Lord  Winsor,  after  which  the  city  was  sacked  of  all  its 
treasure,  and  even  the  church-bells  and  slaves  carried  off  by 
the  victors.  Though  the  Morro  was  so  easily  taken  in  the 
old  days,  the  Americans  in  1898 — through  an  excess  of  cau- 
tion, perhaps — met  with  indifferent  success  when  they  at- 
tempted its  reduction.  It  was  the  object  of  frequent  bom- 
bardments, but  after  all  was  over  little  harm  had  been  done. 
It  still  stands,  hardly  changed  in  aspect  since  the  writer  first 
saw  it,  many  years  ago — save  for  a  coat  of  whitewash,  and 
a  smarter  appearance  generally  than  of  yore.  A  domed 
sentry-box  of  stone  overhangs  the  sea,  seemingly  ready  to 
fall ;  the  rock-ribbed  fortress  is  carried  up  from  the  sea-line 
by  a  succession  of  walls,  turrets,  towers,  like  many  a  mediae- 
val fort  still  to  be  seen  on  the  coast  of  the  Mediterranean. 


SOUTH  COAST  121 

Only  above  the  summit  are  the  lines  of  masonry  sharply 
defined,  each  terrace  adorned  with  antiquated  cannon,  and 
the  whole  structure  dominated  by  a  massive  tower.  The 
steamer  glides  beneath  impending  battlements,  tinted  in 
pink  and  grey,  until  another  water  battery  faces  it,  then, 
while  for  a  moment  the  castled  fortress  rears  its  walls 
200  feet  above,  the  harbour-bay  begins  to  open. 

Santiago  City.  As  Santiago  is  approached  it  appears  an 
Oriental  city,  lying  against  its  hillside,  at  the  foot  a  marine 
park  with  sinuous  windings,  its  grand  cathedral,  and  a  sea 
of  roofs  disporting  radiant  colouring,  in  which  pink  and  red 
predominate.  There  is  no  other  city  in  Cuba  just  like  it, 
though  the  architecture  of  all  is  Oriental-Spanish.  Its  cen- 
tral feature,  of  course,  is  the  plaza,  on  one  side  of  which  is 
the  cathedral ;  on  another  the  San  Carlos  Club,  said  to  be 
the  wealthiest  outside  Havana ;  contiguous  to  it  the  Casa 
Grande  hotel ;  on  the  north  is  the  IMunicipal  Building,  and 
on  the  remaining  western  side  is  the  "Venus"  restaurant. 
Leading  away  from  the  plaza  are  the  shopping  streets,  filled 
with  Spanish  wares,  as  well  as  wnth  American,  of  late.  The 
cathedral,  called  the  largest  in  Cuba,  has  a  large  dome  and 
two  towers.  Its  nave  is  long  and  spacious,  the  side-chapels 
adorned  with  rare  marbles,  the  choir-stalls  made  of  solid 
mahogany.  This  church  occupies  the  site  of  the  first  erected 
in  Cuba,  within  which,  as  an  excavation  revealed,  was  buried 
Diego  Velasquez,  the  conquistador,  who  died  in  1522. 

With  Velasquez  in  Cuba,  at  Baracoa  and  Santiago,  w-ere 
those  since  famous  men,  Bartholomew  Las  Casas  and 
Hernando  Cortes,  and  a  house  in  which  the  latter  lived  is 
shown,  near  the  top  of  the  hill,  from  which  a  glorious  view- 
is  outspread  of  the  harbour  and  distant  mountains.  The  house 
is  a  single  story,  with  tiled  roof,  and  windows  fitted  with 
w'ooden  grills.  On  the  hill,  also,  is  a  model  school-house, 
built  by  the  Americans  at  a  cost  of  $50,000,  a  Boston  philan- 
thropist, Mr.  H.  L.  Higginson,  contributing  $20,000  of  this 
amount.  It  was  not  far  from  its  site  that  tradition  locates 
the  first  school  in  Cuba,  which  was  founded  in  1522.  Near 
the  plaza  stands  the  Filannonia  theatre,  in  which,  tradition 
also  states,  the  peerless  Adelina  Patti  made  her  debut,  at  the 
age  of  fourteen.    Another  foreigner  of  fame  who  once  lived 


122  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST  INDIES 

in  Santiago  was  Doctor  Antomarchi,  who  was  at  Napoleon's 
bedside  when  he  died  at  St.  Helena.  In  a  tour  of  the  world 
afterward,  he  chanced  upon  a  long-lost  brother,  of  whom 
he  was  in  search,  in  the  city  of  Santiago,  and  here  he  set- 
tled down,  and  finally  died  of  yellow  fever,  as  his  monu- 
ment in   the  cemetery  attests. 

Santiago  has  a  generous  warmth  of  colouring,  also  a  more 
generous  warmth  of  atmosphere,  so  it  is  advisable  to  make 
one's  excursions  morning  and  evening,  taking  a  siesta  at 
noonday,  and  depending  upon  the  plaza  to  furnish  plenty  of 
local  character,  as  well  as  colour,  for  nearly  all  the  people 
assemble  there,  sooner  or  later — especially  later.  The  band 
plays  in  the  plaza  frequently ;  and  as  all  nights  are  cool  here, 
in  the  winter  season,  with  skies  of  turquoise  frosted  with 
stars,  it  is  a  joy  to  be  out  until  the  small  hours.  There 
is  no  longer  great  danger  from  yellow  fever,  as  it  has  been 
fought  and  fumigated,  until  "Yellow  Jack"  hardly  dares 
show  his  head.  But  there  is  still  a  scant  supply  of  water  in 
Santiago,  despite  the  labors  General  Wood  performed 
when  in  command ;  and  the  sewage  system  is  very  de- 
ficient, almost  non-existent ;  though  abundant  springs  of  pure 
water  exist  in  the  near  mountains,  and  the  city  is  so  sit- 
uated that  it  could  easily  be  sewered  and  drained. 

The  Virginius.  What  the  Spaniards  suffered  at  Santiago: 
the  loss  they  incurred  there,  of  the  island  as  well  as  the 
city,  was  in  a  sense  prefigured  by  an  atrocious  occurrence 
twenty-five  years  previously.  This  was  the  massacre  of  the 
captain  and  sailors  of  the  American  steamer  Virginius,  in 
1873.  They  were  captured  off  Jamaica,  and  taken  to  Santi- 
ago as  filibusters,  stood  up  against  a  wall  of  the  Santiago 
slaughter-house  and  shot.  The  miserable  Spaniards  added 
insult  to  injury  by  shooting  the  Americans  within  the  foul 
confines  of  the  public  slaughter-house,  where  to-day  a  tab- 
let commemorates  the  event.  The  inscription  on  the  tablet 
begins :  "You  who  pass  this  spot  uncover  the  head.  It  is 
consecrated  earth.  For  thirty  years  it  has  been  blessed  by 
the  blood  of  patriots  sacrificed  by  tyranny."  The  United 
States  Government  of  that  time  pusillanimously  overlooked 
this  atrocity,  diplomacy  smoothed  it  over ;  but  for  many 
years  it  rankled  in  the  breasts  of  patriots,  and  perhaps  was 


SOUTH   COAST  123 

as  efficacious  as  that  other  atrocity,  the  Maine  massacre,  in 
bringing  about  the  expulsion  of  those  miscreants  from  Cuba. 
The  slaughter-pen  is  down  near  the  harbour-front,  east  of 
the  Cuba  Railroad  station,  and  is  as  vile  a  spot  to-day  as 
one  can  find  in  Santiago.  One  will  care  to  linger  only  long 
enough  to  read  the  inscription  and  breathe  an  imprecation 
cigainst  the  Spanish  murderers. 

The  Alamada,  or  park-like  drive,  is  on  the  harbour-front, 
a  favourite  resort  of  fashion  on  Sundays  and  late  afternoons. 
Other  drives  are  to  El  Crista,  Boniato,  San  Luis,  El  Caney, 
El  Morro,  and  the  San  Juan  battle-Held.  The  Boniato  drive 
is  over  a  magnificent  military  road  through  an  attractive 
country,  to  a  height  that  afifords  a  grand  sea  and  harbour 
view,  with  the  misty  Blue  Mountains  of  Jamaica  looming 
above  the  Caribbean,  many  miles  away.  Cost  of  carriage  to 
top  of  mountain  and  return,  over  military  road,  $5.  To 
Morro  Castle,  over  fine  road,  with  attractive  views,  $3.50 
for  one ;  $4  for  four.  Within  the  city,  hack  fares  are 
20  cents  per  passenger;  extra,  10  cents  each  ;  $1  per  hour.  To 
El  Caney  and  San  Juan  battle-field,  one  person,  $1.50;  for 
four  persons,  $2. 

San  Juan  and  El  Caney,  So  much  has  been  said  and  writ- 
ten of  the  San  Juan  battle-field  that  the  subject  should 
probably  be  taboo — not  to  be  mentioned  on  pain  of 
death — except  in  a  guide-book ;  in  which,  however,  it  is 
necessary  to  indicate  the  way  thither,  though  the  very  fa- 
miliar details  may  be  omitted.  The  march  of  the  Americans 
upon  Santiago,  by  the  way  of  Las  Guasimas,  Kettle  Hill,  San 
Juan,  and  El  Caney,  has  been  described  a  thousand  times; 
and  these  places  have  now  become  as  inseparably  connected 
with  the  history  of  Cuba  as  the  Morro  itself.  For  what  took 
place  there,  read  President  Roosevelt's  vivid  descriptions  in 
his  Rough  Riders,  and  Secretary  of  War  Alger's  Spanish- 
American  War.  The  chief  points  have  been  incorporated 
into  a  national  park,  to  and  through  which  runs  an  excellent 
road.  In  dry  weather  it  is  good,  but  bad  when  the  rains  de- 
scend. The  distance  to  San  Juan  is  about  3  miles,  and  a 
little  more  to  El  Caney.  On  the  way  to  the  former  that 
famous  "Surrender  Tree"  is  passed,  where,  on  July  17.  1898. 
General  Shafter  received  the  submission  of  Santiago  from 


124  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST   INDIES 

General  Toral.  This  surrender  led  to  that  of  the  province, 
followed  by  the  whole  island,  and  the  eventual  expulsion  of 
the  Spaniards  from  Cuba.  The  siege  of  Santiago  lasted  but 
little  more  than  two  weeks ;  but  how  vast  were  the  results 
and  momentous  the  consequences ! 

The  "Surrender  Tree"  is  a  silk-cotton,  called  in  Spanish 
ceiba,  and  is  a  rather  sorry  specimen ;  but  it  sufficed  for  the 
purpose,  and  its  wood  being  spongy  and  unyielding  to  pen- 
knives, it  has  been  allowed  to  stand,  unwhittled,  though  un- 
majestic.  The  hill  beyond  is  capped  by  a  monument  to  the 
brave  "boys  in  blue"  who  fell  on  slopes  and  in  the  fields 
around  it,  which  now  are  as  quiet  as  before  the  invasion, 
almost  in  solitude.  A  good  view  is  open  from  the  top  of 
the  hill,  and  with  a  map  one  may  trace  the  route  followed 
by  our  soldiers,  coming  over  from  Kettle  Hill  and  Las 
Guasi}nas-w-a.Td. 

El  Caney,  that  quaint  Indian  village  which  had  reposed  un- 
disturbed for  centuries,  up  to  the  time  its  fort  was  attacked 
and  taken  by  American  soldiers  in  the  summer  of  1898,  has 
also  lapsed  into  quietude.  One  can  hardly  believe  that  when, 
after  a  fierce  artillery  fire  that  breached  the  walls,  the  gal- 
lant Americans  entered  the  fort,  driving  the  enemy  before 
them  at  the  bayonet's  point,  "it  was  floored  with  dead 
soldiers"  ;  but  the  tale  is  true.  Only  the  old  fort  remains  as 
a  witness,  its  walls  crumbling,  dismantled,  for  there  is  no 
longer  an  enemy  to  contend  with,  the  soldiers  of  both 
nationalities  have  departed,  and  the  simple  people  dwelling 
here  live  in  peace.  Caney  is  an  interesting  village,  even  aside 
from  its  association  with  the  war,  for  it  has  long  been  the 
residence  of  natives  descended  from  the  aborigines,  of  whom 
there  are  no  specimens  of  pure  blood  remaining  in  Cuba. 
Those  residing  in  Caney  are  the  nearest  relatives  of  the 
Indian  to  be  found  anywhere,  however,  and  live  "as  near  to 
nature  as  the  law  allows,"  dwelling  in  huts  of  palm,  deriv- 
ing their  sustenance  from  farms  and  gardens  cultivated  in 
the  good  old  aboriginal  way.  That  is,  they  plough  with 
crooked  sticks,  raise  cassava,  boniatos,  etc.,  and  revel  in 
abundance  of  tropical  fruits.  Go  to  El  Caney  by  all  means, 
for  it  is  easily  accessible  by  carriage-road,  and  by  a  branch 
of  railway  from  Santiago. 


■^ 


o 


SOUTH   COAST  125 

Other  Excursions.  A  private  railroad  runs  from  a  big 
iron  pier  in  the  harbour  to  the  famous  iron  mines  of  Daiquiri, 
whence,  tradition  relates,  some  of  the  iron  was  obtained  that 
belted  some  of  the  American  warships  engaged  in  bombard-' 
ing  Santiago  and  the  Morro.  The  province  is  the  richest  in 
Cuba,  having  mines  of  copper,  iron,  and  gold.  The  last- 
named  metal  was  mined  by  the  Spaniards  before  Plymouth 
Rock  was  discovered — a  hundred  years  before — and  at  Crista, 
it  is  said.  Hernando  Cortes  had  a  mine,  as  well  as  slaves. 
This  is  a  very  pretty  station  a  few  miles  out  of  Santiago, 
Vshere  all  kinds  of  tropical  fruits  now  abound  ;  though  gold 
is  no  longer  mined  there. 

The  Virgin  of  Cobre.  One  of  the  best  excursions  Santi- 
ago has  to  offer  is  to  the  Cobre  mines,  in  the  mountain  range 
on  the  opposite  side  of  the  harbour.  Cobre  is  Spanish  for 
copper,  of  which  there  is  a  great  abundance  in  the  hills,  and 
the  mines  are  very  rich.  To  get  there,  first  cross  the* har- 
bour in  the  company's  steamer  (having  first  obtained  per- 
mission at  headquarters  ofiice)  and  then  board  a  flat  mule- 
car,  or  a  mule  flat-car,  for  the  mines.  The  distance  is  about 
ten  miles,  all  the  way  ascending,  over  a  narrow-gauge,  rick- 
ety railway,  crossing  perilous  bridges,  and  passing  through 
fine  scenery.  The  mines  have  been  worked  for  centuries, 
having  furnished  not  only  metal  for  Spanish  galleons,  but 
also  for  some  of  the  guns  with  which  the  Americans  bom- 
barded the  defences  of  Santiago  in  1898.  Rich  specimens 
of  copper  may  be  obtained  here  from  the  miners,  who  are 
courteous   and   obliging. 

The  great  attraction  of  Cobre,  however,  is  Nnestra  Senora 
de  la  Caridad,  Mho  has  been  here  nearly  300  years.  She  is 
a  sacred  image,  who,  in  the  early  years  of  the  seventeenth 
century,  was  discovered  by  some  Indians,  floating  upon  a 
board  in  the  Bay  of  Nipe.  It  is  supposed  she  is  identical 
with  the  precious  relic  that  the  renowned  cavalier  Alonzo 
de  Ojeda  was  wont  to  carry  with  him,  and  to  whom  he  as- 
cribed all  his  great  victories.  He  was  wrecked  on  the  south 
coast  of  Cuba  early  in  the  sixteenth  century,  and  gave  her 
in  charge  of  an  Indian  chief,  in  return  for  his  life.  The 
cacique  built  a  shrine,  and  he  and  all  his  people  worshipped 
her  with  veneration;  but  she  finally  disappeared,  and  about 


126  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST   INDIES 

a  hundred  years  later  was  found  at  Nipe,  as  above  de- 
scribed. 

She  was  taken  to  the  Indian  hamlet  of  Hato,  not  far  from 
■Cobre,  but  three  times  left  the  place  and  perched  upon  the 
mountain,  where,  finally,  perceiving  that  it  was  her  desire 
to  stay  there,  the  devout  Cubans  built  a  splendid  shrine. 
This  sanctuary  was  erected  in  1631,  and  here  the  Virgen  de 
la  Caridad  may  be  seen  to-day.  She  is  a  wooden  image, 
15  inches  high,  mounted  in  tortoise-shell  inlaid  with  ivory 
and  gold,  resplendently  robed,  and  decked  with  jewels  re- 
puted to  be  worth  at  least  $10,000.  These  may  be  paste ; 
but  at  one  time  her  votive  offerings — made  in  return  for 
numerous  favours  —  were  valued  at  several  times  this 
amount.  On  a  night  in  May,  1899.  however,  some  sacri- 
legious thieves  broke  into  the  sanctuary  and  robbed  her  of 
treasure  to  the  value,  it  is  said,  of  $25,000.  Her  festival 
occurs  on  September  8th  annually,  at  which  event  thousands 
of  pilgrims  flock  to  Cobrc. 

Connections  with  Santiago.  The  great  central  line,  the 
Cuba  Railway,  connects  with  Havana,  distant  540  miles,  time 
twenty-five  hours,  without  change.  It  is  furnished  with 
"sleepers"  and  observation  cars,  while  several  good  restau- 
rants along  the  line  provide  excellent  meals  at  cost  of  $1  each. 

The  long-established  Ward  Line  runs  between  Santiago 
and  New  York  by  way  of  the  Bahamas,  calling  at  Nassau. 

The  Herrera  Line  (Spanish)  connects  Santiago  with  Ha- 
vana, touching  at  all  ports  of  importance  on  the  north  coast ; 
going  south  to  Santo  Domingo  and  Porto  Rico. 

The  Pickford  and  Black  Line,  from  and  to  Halifax,  Nova 
Scotia,  via  Bermudas,  makes  a  monthly  visit  to  Santiago. 

The  Menendez  Line  (Spanish)  runs  boats  between  Santiago 
and  Batabano,   calling  at  intermediate  ports,  once  a  week. 

During  the  winter  season  a  small  steamer  sails  between  San- 
tiago and   Kingston,  Jamaica,  once  a  week. 

Santiago  to  Cienfuegos.  From  Santiago  westward  to 
Cape  Cruz,  a  matter  of  100  miles  or  so,  the  coast  is  bold 
and  the  mountain  chains  the  grandest  in  the  island,  for  above 
them  towers  mighty  Turqiiino,  more  than  8,000  feet  in  alti- 
tude. It  was  on  the  coast  westward  from  Santiago  that 
Cervera's  fleet  was  driven  ashore  by  the  well-directed  fire 


SOUTH  COAST  127 

of  American  warships  on  that  eventful  day  in  July,  1898. 
Ihey  lay  there  long  after,  rusted,  twisted  heaps  of  scrap- 
iron,  all  the  way  from  the  harbour-entrance  to  the  Surgi- 
dcro  of  Turquino,  forty-five  miles  westward,  where  the 
battleship  Colon  was  beached  and  deserted. 

Behind  Caho  de  Cruz — Cape  of  the  Cross — lies  the  Gulf  of 
Guacanaybo,  with  the  largest  river  in  Cuba,  the  Canto,  dis- 
charging into  it.  Its  headwaters  are  crossed  by  the  Cuba 
Railway,  between  Alto  Cedro  and  Santiago,  about  100  miles 
from  its  mouth,  so  it  is  not  a  very  long  stream,  though 
exceedingly  interesting.  The  city  on  Guacanaybo's  shores  is 
Manzanillo,  hot  and  unhealthful,  but  controlling  the  trade 
of  a  region  with  vast  resources.  It  has  a  lovely  little  plaza, 
with  royal  palms,  electric-lighted,  like  the  streets,  and  claims 
to  have  been  the  place  at  which  the  last  shot  of  the  Spanish- 
American  War  was  fired.  As  the  Yankees  were  making 
ready  to  shell  the  city,  news  arrived  that  the  peace  protocol 
was  signed,  and  Manzanillo  was  saved.  Wrecks  of  two 
vessels  destroyed  by  the  enemy  lie  near  the  wharf,  but  these 
were  sunk  at  the  beginning  of  the  war. 

Bayamo,  where  the  republican  uprising  of  1868  took  place, 
and  where  the  first  president,  Palma,  of  the  Cuban  Republic, 
was  born,  in  1835,  lies  inland  from  Manzanillo  sorhe  25  miles. 
There  is  hardly  a  more  isolated  spot  in  Cuba;  yet 
"Don  Tomas."  as  the  Cubans  affectionately  term  their 
first  president,  loves  the  place,  and  is  said  to  prefer  its  quiet 
and  seclusion  to  the  strife  and  bustle  of  Havana.  Several 
families  of  importance  in  Cuba  had  their  origin  here,  and 
as  the  soil  of  this  region  is  extremely  fertile,  vast  fortunes 
have  been  made  easily,  the  hospitality  of  the  people  being 
proverbial. 

Gardens  of  the  Queen.  Westward  from  the  Gulf  stretches 
a  labyrinth  of  islets — cayos — bordered  with  mangroves,  in- 
fested by  mosquitos,  and  inhabited  by  hardy  fishermen,  dis- 
covered by  Columbus,  and  named  by  him  Las  Jardines  de  la 
Rcina,  or  Gardens  of  the  Queen.  They  were  then  occupied 
by  Indians,  whose  descendants  have  long  since  disappeared. 
Like  similar  islets  on  the  north  coast  which  he  called  the 
"King's  Gardens,"  they  were  more  attractive  at  a  distance 
than  close  at  hand,  the  water  about  them  being  shallow,  the 


128  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST  INDIES 

soil  poor,  and  their  resources  scanty.  On  the  coast  of  the 
main  island,  opposite  the  Cayos  de  las  Jamaicanas,  is  a  queer 
little  town  of  palm-thatched  huts  known  as  Santa  Crtiz  del 
Sur. 

Sancti  Spiritus  and  Trinidad.  On  the  coast,  north  of  the 
western  Jardincs,  is  the  harbour  of  Jucaro,  southern  termi- 
nus of  the  Jucaro  and  San  Fernando  Railroad,  and  of  the 
great  trocha,  which  the  Spaniards  built  across  the  island 
(which  here  is  very  narrow)  as  a  barrier  against  the  insur- 
gents. We  shall  see  some  of  its  watch-towers  at  Cicgo  de 
Avila,  on  the  Cuba  Railway.  West  of  Jucaro,  about  50  miles, 
is  Tunas  de  Zaza,  which  is  of  importance  as  the  port  of 
Sancti  Spiritns,  a  short  railway  line  connecting  both  places 
with  the  "Cuba"  line.  Sancti  Spiritus  was  founded  about 
1514,  and  looks  its  antiquity,  with  narrow  streets,  a  cathedral 
of  date  1630,  and  massive  structures  that  resemble  Spanish 
palaces.  It  lies  in  the  centre  of  a  rich  and  rolling  country, 
where  fortunes  have  been  made  in  cattle-raising,  and  amid 
scenery  that  is  a  delight  to  the  eye.  Its  royal  palms  and 
bamboos  give  it  character,  w^iile  a  noted  landmark  is  the 
Pan  de  Asiicar,  or  Sugar-loaf  Hill,  in  the  southwest. 

About  20  miles  west  of  Tunas  is  Casilda,  the  seaport 
of  Trinidad,  which,  having  been  founded  in  1513,  is  next 
to  Baracoa  in  antiquity.  It  is  equally  famous,  also,  in  Cuban 
annals,  for  here  settled  several  cahalleros,  who  w-ent  with 
Hernando  Cortes  on  his  voyage  to  Mexico.  Cortes  came  here 
in  1 5 19.  and  gathered  together  many  cavaliers  as  well  as 
munitions  and  provisions.  Here  then  lived  the  noted  Puerto- 
carrero,  who  went  to  Mexico  with  Cortes,  and  who  made  the 
first  voyage  from  New  to  Old  Spain.  The  place  has  always 
been  noted  for  its  healthfulness,  and  its  situation,  on  the  side 
of  La  Vigia,  or  Lookout  Mountain,  is  strikingly  picturesque. 
A  vast  sugar  country  surrounds  Trinidad,  and  millionaire 
planters  were  numerous  at  one  time,  before  war's  ravages 
cut  off  their  incomes.  In  a  smaller  way,  fruit  culture  has 
been  attempted  by  Americans,  who  have  a   colony  here. 

Cienfuegos.  The  city  of  Cicnfucgos,  though  the  most  re- 
cent of  Cuba's  successful  settlements,  is  also  one  of  the 
finest.  It  was  founded  in  1819,  destroyed  by  a  hurricane,  and 
rebuilt  in  1825.    The  bay  was  discovered  by  Columbus,  who, 


SOUTH  COAST  129 

when  entering  it,  was  struck  by  the  myriads  of  fire-beetles 
disporting  in  the  meadows  alongshore,  and  is  said  to  have 
exclaimed,  "Mira  los  Cicnfucgos!"  ("Behold  the  Hundred 
Fires  !")  The  bay  itself,  originally  known  as  Jagiia,  is  called 
by  mariners  one  of  the  finest  in  the  world;  but  the  city  lies 
at  a  distance  of  6  miles  from  its  entrance,  where,  on  Point 
Sabanilla,  stands  the  ancient  Castillo  dc  Jagtia,  giving  pro- 
tection to  a  quaint  and  highly  coloured  group  of  small  huts 
and  houses.  Not  far  away  is  Signal  Hill,  from  which  an  ex- 
tensive view  offers  of  the  coast,  the  city,  two  isolated  hills 
called  Tctas  de  Tomosa,  and  a  distant  mountain  range.  On 
the  opposite  side  of  the  entrance  is  Point  Colorado,  where 
United  States  soldiers  were  formerly  stationed,  and  where 
the  submarine  telegraphic  cable  has  a  landing.  Here  oc- 
curred that  brilliant  episode  of  the  Spanish-American  War 
in  which  the  Americans  were  first  under  fire  and  shed  their 
blood,  while  cutting  the  cables,  at  the  same  time  subjected 
to  a  hail  of  rifle-shot  from  the  fort.  That  was  on  May  11, 
1898.  Less  than  ten  months  later,  or  February  6,  1899,  the 
last  of  the  Spaniards,  under  General  Castellanos,  evacuated 
Cuba  and  sailed  from  this  harbour  for  Spain. 
The  Plaza  de  Annas,  in  the  centre  of  the  city,  is  orna- 
mented with  royal  palms  and  laurels,  and  guarded  by  two 
marble  lions  which  were  presented  by  Queen  Isabella  of 
Spain.  On  concert  nights,  Sunday  and  Thursday  evenings, 
the  elite  of  society  may  be  found  here,  the  girls  and  women 
wearing  the  Spanish  mantilla,  or  with  their  dark  tresses 
ornamented  with  roses.  Facing  the  plaza  on  one  side  are 
the  municipal  buildings,  on  another  the  grand  cathedral, 
a  fine  structure  containing  a  Madonna  robed  in  cloth-of- 
gold  and  purple,  a  gift  of  Queen  Isabella,  and  handsome 
altar  fittings.  On  another  side  is  the  large  Terry  theatre, 
which  was  built  by  the  heirs  of  Don  Tomas  Terry,  a  rich 
sugar-planter  whose  estates  were  among  the  most  extensive 
in  Cuba.  It  w^as  a  gift  to  the  city,  cost  $115,000,  and  its 
receipts  are  donated  to  the  schools.  City  and  plaza  are 
lighted  by  electricity,  the  streets  are  broad  and  straight,  and 
altogether  Cienfuegos  is  a  very  attractive  place.  It  lies 
on  a  gentle  slope,  near  the  level  of  the  bay,  but  the  climate, 
though  very  hot,  is  not  inimical  to  health  during  a  short  stay. 


130  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST   INDIES 

Excursions  may  be  made  by  steamer  to  the  shores  and 
islets  of  the  great  bay,  the  water  of  which  is  perfectly  trans- 
parent ;  to  some  large  sugar  plantations  on  the  Damiju 
River;  to  the  Castillo  and  harbour-entrance ;  and  to  the 
wonderful  Hahanilla  Falls,  set  in  virgin  verdure,  and  known 
as  .the  "Cuban  Minnehaha." 

Cienfuegos,  195  miles  from  Havana,  with  a  train  daily  each 
way  over  the  United  Railways,  is  reached  by  three  lines  of 
steamers,   one   from   Batabano   and   two   from    Santiago. 

Carriage  trips  in  the  city  cost  20  cents  per  passenger.  10 
cents  each  additional  above  two ;  per  hour,  $1  American 
money.     Interpreters,  as  in  Havana,  receive  $2  per  day. 


THE  GREAT  CUBA  RAILWAY 

By  the  construction  of  the  great  Cuba  Railway,  completed 
in  1902,  it  is  estimated  that  at  least  70  per  cent,  of  Cuban 
territory,  occupied  by  less  than  40  per  cent,  of  its  population, 
was  opened  to  settlement  and  exploitation.  A  wonderful 
country  for  the  traveller  was  thrown  open,  beyond  doubt, 
and  no  one  should  visit  Cuba  without  a  trip  (one  way  at 
least)  between  Havana  and  Santiago.  These  two  points  are 
540  miles  apart,  and  train-schedules  are  so  arranged,  with 
a  departure  from  Havana  at  9  p.m.  and  another  from  San- 
tiago at  6  A.M.,  that  by  travelling  both  ways  all  the  fine 
scenery  may  be  included  and  all  the  chief  cities.  The  time 
consumed  is  twenty-five  hours,  as  the  trains  travel  slowly ; 
but  as  they  are  equipped  with  first  and  third-class  coaches, 
sleepers  and  observation  cars,  with  excellent  restaurants  at 
intervals  along  the  line,  the  arrangement  is  satisfactory  to 
the  traveller,  who  finds  much  to  occupy  his  attention  every 
moment  of  the  trip. 

Leaving  the  Villanucva  Station,  Havana,  at  9  P.M.,  Matanzas 
(which,  with  the  route  thither,  is  described  in  preceding 
pages)  is  reached  about  midnight.  The  distance  is  100  kilo- 
metres, or  63  miles.  After  a  tarry  of  a  little  more  than  an 
hour  the  train  moves  on  again,  through  the  great  "sugar 
country"  of  Cuba,  and  daylight  finds  us  in  Saiita  Clara  Prov- 
ince. There  are  six  provinces  in  Cuba  :  Pinar  del  Rio,  Ha- 
vana, Matanzas,  Santa  Clara,  Puerto  Principe,  and  Santiago. 
The  first  is  served  by  the  Western  Railways,  the  second  and 
third  by  the  Central  and  United  Railways  of  Havana  and 
the  three  remaining  by  the  Cuba. 

Santa  Clara,  the  capital  of  the  province,  is  184  miles  from 
Havana,  and  reached  shortly  after  daylight.  In  the  cool 
of  the  morning  one  finds  the  train  entering  its  station,  where 
coffee  and  light  refreshments  are  served,  fifteen  minutes  be- 
ing allowed  for  the  purpose.  The  town  of  Santa  Clara  con- 
tains about  14,000  inhabitants  and  was  founded  in  1689,  in 
the  centre  of  a  rich  country  celebrated  for  its  production  of 


132  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST   INDIES 

sugar  and  cattle.  It  is  a  thrifty  and  healthful  city,  locally 
famous  for  the  beauty  of  its  women,  and  the  refinement  of 
its  population  generally.  Situated  a  short  distance  from  the 
railway  station,  a  stop-over  will  be  necessary  for  a  tarry  here ; 
but  it  would  not  come  amiss,  especially  as  there  is  a  good 
hostelry,  the  Santa  Clara  Hotel  and  Restaurant,  opposite 
the  plaza,  with  electric  lights,  telephone,  and  baths.  The 
cathedral  contains  a  painting,  a  ]\Iadonna.  more  than  200 
years  old,  as  it  has  been  here  that  length  of  time,  and  is 
accredited  to  one  of  the  Spanish  masters.  The  Tcatro  de 
la  Caridad,  or  Charity  Theatre,  devotes  its  receipts  to  city 
schools,   and  was  a  present  to  the   municipality  by  a  lady. 

A  tramway  connects  city  and  railway  station,  fare  5  cents, 
and  hacks  are  always  in  waiting  for  trains ;  fares  same  as  in 
Havana. 

The  Great  Trocha  across  Cuba.  A  perfect  network  of 
railways  covers  Havana  and  Matanzas  provinces,  some  of 
which  have  been  referred  to  in  relation  to  the  places  visited. 
At  Santo  Domingo  and  Esperanza  lines  run  southwardly  to 
Cienfuegos  (already  described),  at  Placetas  del  Sur  an- 
other branch  reaches  the  north  coast  at  Caibaricn,  and  at 
Zaza  del  Medio  a  short  spur,  7  miles  in  length,  connects  with 
Sancti  Spiritus.  At  Cicgo  de  Avila,  280  miles  from  Havana, 
and  260  from  Santiago,  an  ancient  railway  crosses  the  island 
completely,  from  San  Fernando  on  the  north  to  Jucaro  on 
the  south  coast.  This  is  the  narrowest  part  of  the  island 
east  of  Havana  Province,  and  was  availed  of  by  the  Span- 
iards for  the  construction  of  their  famous  trocha,  or  mili- 
tary pathway,  from  the  north  coast  to  the  south.  It  is  about 
50  miles  in  length,  and  the  whole  of  that  distance  was  cleared 
of  every  tree  and  shrub  big  enough  to  hide  a  Cuban  insur- 
gent for  the  space  of  a  kilometre  in  width.  Here,  in  fact, 
the  Spaniards  possessed  a  triple  line  of  defence,  by  which 
they  hoped  to  prevent  the  Cubans  from  passing  from  one 
end  of  the  island  to  the  other :  the  railway,  a  barbed-wire 
entanglement,  and  a  line  of  fortalezas,  or  blockhouses,  210 
in  number,  each  one  equipped  with  a  powerful  electric  light, 
telephonic  connection  with  all  the  others,  and  filled  with  an 
armed  guard.  These  blockhouses  may  be  seen  at  their  best 
in    Ciego    de  Avila   and   vicinity.      They   are   about  20    feet 


THE  GREAT  CUBA  RAILWAY  133 

square,  built  of  massive  masonry  in  the  lower  story,  with 
square  tower  sheathed  in  corrugated  iron.  Besides  being 
extremely  picturesque,  they  were  strong  enough  to  resist 
attacks  from  without,  w^ere  pierced  with  loopholes  for  mus- 
ketry, and  their  only  entrance  was  10  or  12  feet  above  the 
ground.  Yet  they  were  not  so  effective,  even  in  combina- 
tion with  the  "impregnable  trocha,"  as  to  prevent  the  in- 
surgents from  wandering  over  the  island  at  their  own  sweet 
will.  The  Spaniards,  however,  performed  a  service  to  the 
island  in  clearing  this  space  across  it  more  than  half  a  mile 
in  width,  for  now  the  Cubans  are  utilising  it  for  agricul- 
tural purposes. 

Ceballos  Colony.  There  is  a  railway  restaurant  at 
Ciegos  de  Avilos,  trains  stopping  there  twenty-five  minutes 
for  meals — which,  by  the  way,  are  abundant,  excellent,  and 
quickly  served.  No  better  can  be  found  in  Cuba  than  at 
the  stations  along  the  railway — speaking  from  the  personal 
experience  of  the  writer.  Of  itself  Ciego  is  a  forsaken  and 
uninteresting  place,  but  a  few  miles  north  of  it,  on  the  line 
of  the  cross-country  railroad,  lies  the  colony  of  Ceballos, 
where  large  undertakings  have  been  made  for  the  growing 
of  tropical  fruits.  A  large  hotel  has  been  opened  recently  at 
Ceballos.  Orange,  lime,  lemon  and  other  tropical  trees 
make  wonderful  growth  in  Cuba,  and  as  there  is  no 
frost  to  be  feared — as  in  Florida — success  in  this  direction 
seems  assured  from  the  start.  This  Ceballos  Colony  is  but 
one  of  several  attempts  to  locate  Canadian  and  American  set- 
tlers on  the  fertile  spots  of  Cuba  with  varying  degrees  of 
success,  dependent  mainly  upon  the  capacity  of  foreigners 
to  endure  the  monotony  of  life  in  isolated  sections,  and  it 
seems  the  most  promising  of  all.  There  is  a  colony  at  La 
Gloria,  with  outlet  on  the  coast  at  Nuevitas ;  another  at 
Holguin,  with  connection  for  the  north  coast  at  Gibara ;  an- 
other at  INIinas,  on  the  raihvay  line  from  Camaguey  to  Nue- 
vitas ;  still  another  near  Trinidad,  on  the  south  coast ;  the 
largest  of  all,  perhaps,  at  the  Isle  of  Pines;  and  yet  another 
at  Bahia  Honda.  In  truth,  scattered  individuals  and  groups 
of  colonists  are  to  be  found  all  over  the  island,  which  offers 
every  variety  of  soil,  scenery,  and  agricultural  resources  to 
prospective  settlers. 


134  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST   INDIES 

Camaguey,  or  Puerto  Principe.  The  central  region  of 
Cuba  is  elevated,  with  mountains  playing  hide-and-seek  at 
a  distance  from  the  railroad,  with  vast  areas  of  level  coun- 
try, much  of  it  seemingly  sterile ;  but  with  broad  acres  of 
sugar-cane  visible  almost  any  hour  of  the  day.  It  is  a  health- 
ful region,  mid-seas,  yet  swept  by  trade-winds  by  day  and 
breezes  from  the  mountains  at  night.  The  typical  city  of  the 
interior,  capital  of  a  province  bearing  the  same  name,  is 
Camaguey,  or  Puerto  Principe,  about  340  miles  from  Havana, 
and  200  from  Santiago.  Though  it  has  now  reverted  to  the 
Indian  name  of  the  native  village  that  preceded  the  city 
on  the  plain,  it  is  as  often  known  as  Puerto  Principe,  or 
"Prince's  Port."  as  Camaguey.  How  an  inland  city  can  be 
called  a  port,  is  explained  by  the  fact  that  its  settlers  origi- 
nally located  on  the  coast,  at  or  near  the  present  port  of 
Nuevitas,  whence  they  were  driven  by  pirates  to  the  present 
situation.  The  first  settlement  was  made  in  15 15,  under  the 
name  of  Santa  Maria  del  Prineipe,  but  the  following  year  the 
location  was  changed,  though  the  name  was  retained.  But 
the  pirates  still  pursued  them,  for  in  the  year  1665,  or  after 
the  original  settlers  had  all  died,  the  inland  city  was  at- 
tacked by  the  notorious  Morgan,  who,  leaving  his  ships  at 
the  coast,  made  a  forced  march  upon  it  and  took  vast  treas- 
ure from  the  people,  who  had  grown  very  rich  at  cattle-rais- 
ing, and  possessed  great  hoards  of  silver.  The  story  is  told 
in  Esquemeling's  History  of  the  Biicanicrs,  published  1668: 

"As  soon  as  the  Pyrates  had  possessed  themselves  of  the 
Town,  they  enclosed  all  the  Spaniards,  Men,  Women,  Chil- 
dren, and  Slaves,  in  the  several  Churches,  and  pillaged  all 
the  Goods  they  could  find.  Then  they  searched  the  Country 
roundabout,  bringing  in  daily  many  Goods,  and  Prisoners, 
with  much  Provision.  With  this  they  fell  to,  making  great 
Cheer,  after  their  Custom,  without  remembering  the  poor 
Prisoners,  whom  they  let  starve  in  the  Churches ;  though 
they  tormented  them  daily  and  inhumanely,  to  make  them 
confess  where  they  had  hid  their  Treasure,  etc. ;  though  little 
or  nothing  was  left  them,  not  sparing  the  Women  and  little 
Children,  giving  them  nothing  to  eat,  whereby  the  greatest 
part  perished." 

Finally,  having  thoroughly  sacked  the  city  and  put  to  death 


THE  GREAT  CUBA  RAILWAY  135 

many  of  its  inhabitants,  the  pirates  departed  for  the  coast, 
taking  with  them  500  head  of  cattle,  which  they  compelled  the 
Cubans  to  slaughter  and  salt  for  provisions  on  the  voyage. 
Some  of  the  churches  in  which  the  captives  were  starved  to 
death  are  still  to  be  seen  in  the  city,  which  is  very  ancient 
in  appearance  and  Spanish  in  its  architecture.  Its  streets  are 
narrow  and  tortuous,  many  of  them  yet  unpaved,  and  lined 
with  the  quaintest  structures  to  be  found  in  Cuba.  A  sur- 
vival of  the  times  when  the  only  water-supply  for  house- 
hold purposes  was  derived  from  the  sky,  is  found  in  the 
use  of  immense  earthern  jars,  called  tinajones,  sometimes 
6  feet  in  diameter  and  with  a  capacity  of  500  gallons..  These 
stand  in  the  patios,  or  inner  courts,  to  catch  the  rain-water 
from  the  roofs.  Having  once  seen  one  of  these  receptacles, 
the  reader  will  understand  why,  in  Puerto  Principe,  a  per- 
son with  a  capacity  for  drink  is  called  a  tinajon;  in  other 
words  a  "tank." 

Puerto  Principe  cannot  truthfully  be  called  a  desirable  place 
of  residence ;  yet  it  is  quaintly  picturesque,  with  a  fine  plaza, 
that  of  Agramonte,  in  which  the  band  plays  twice  a  week, 
one  side  of  w^hich  is  occupied  by  the  cathedral.  The  city  is 
noted  for  the  number  and  antiquity  of  its  churches,  most 
interesting  of  which  is  La  Merced,  built  about  1628,  and  one 
of  those  in  which  the  pirates'  prisoners  were  confined  and 
tortured.  It  now  belongs  to  the  order  of  Barefooted  Carmel- 
ites, who  came  from  Spain,  and  an  attractive  feature  of 
whose  daily  services  is  singing  by  their  choir.  The  church 
is  open  daily,  6  to  10  a.m.,  6  to  7  p.m.  ;  though  entrance  may 
be  obtained  at  other  hours  by  ringing  the  bell  of  the  monas- 
tery— to  which  women  are  not  admitted.  The  massive  walls 
of  this  old  church  were  evidently  made  to  withstand  a  siege, 
as  they  are  from  4  to  8  feet  thick.  The  high  altar  is  of 
solid  silver,  made  with  40,000  Spanish  dollars.  A  sepulchre 
containing  an  effigy  of  Christ  is  of  hammered  silver,  weighs 
500  pounds,  and  on  Good  Fridays  it  has  been  the  custom 
to  carry  it  through  the  principal  streets  on  the  shoulders  of 
men  who  held  it  a  privilege  to  bear  this  heavy  burden. 

Excursions.  There  are  six  churches  in  the  city  be- 
sides the  cathedral,  and  in  the  suburbs  the  fine  structure  of 
Nuestra  Sefiora  dc  la  Caridad,  or   Our  Lady   of   Charity, 


136  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST  INDIES 

which  is  passed  on  the  way  to  the  Santa  Cruz  Bridge.  This 
drive  crosses  the  Hatibonico  River,  ordinarily  an  insignifi- 
cant stream,  but  which  when  in  flood  rises  more  than  20  feet. 
In  this  direction  also  is  the  Casino,  a  public  park,  and, 
near  the  Caridad,  a  wonderful  well  30  feet  deep,  20  in  width, 
cut  from  the  living  rock  and  with  winding  steps  down  to  the 
water.  The  place  owes  much  to  the  Americans,  who  con- 
structed roads,  drove  artesian  wells,  and  gave  the  people 
an  inkling  of  their  region's  resources.  It  cannot  be  said 
that  the  environs  of  the  city  are  attractive,  the  chief  pos- 
session of  this  section  being  its  delightful  winter  climate. 
It  is  45  miles  from  its  port  of  Nuevitas,  with  which  it  is 
connected  by  the  oldest  railway  line  in  Cuba,  upon  which 
still  runs  one  of  the  original  locomotives,  constructed  sev- 
enty years  ago. 

Hotels,  etc.  There  is  a  native  hotel  in  the  city,  near 
the  plaza,  and  a  railway  restaurant  near  the  tracks,  both 
well  served ;  but  since  the  removal  to  Camaguey  of  the  gen- 
eral offices  of  the  Cuba  Railway  a  great  hotel  has  been 
opened  which  casts  all  others  in  the  shade.  This  is  the 
Hotel  Camaguey,  which  occupies  an  immense  building 
(covering,  with  its  patios,  'iV2  acres)  that  was  once  the  bar- 
racks of  Spanish  cavalry,  capable  of  quartering  2,000  men. 
It  has  the  name  of  being  the  largest  and  one  of  the  best 
equipped  hotels  on  the  island,  with  many  suites  of  rooms 
having  baths  attached,  a  detached  structure  for  its  cuisine, 
long  rows  of  pillared  corridors,  and  a  roof-garden  com- 
manding extensive  views  of  Camaguey  and  its  environment. 
It  was  the  intention  of  the  railway  management  to  maintain 
here  a  hotel  in  connection  with  another  in  Havana,  and 
perhaps  still  another  on  the  Bay  of  Nipe,  north  coast,  with 
a  fourth  in  Santiago,  at  which  the  traveller  might  find  every- 
thing desirable  for  a  winter's  stay,  including  an  entirely  dif- 
ferent climate  and  scenery  at  each  place. 

Fares  about  the  City.  Havana  hack  prices  prevail  here 
— 20  cents  for  one  person ;  or  two  persons,  within  city  points, 
10  cents  each,  additional.  Within  the  city  $1  per  hour,  with- 
out the  limits  $1.50.  There  is  no  good  tram-car  line,  but  a 
well-equipped  "electric"   is  needed  in  Puerto  Principe. 

Santiago   Province,      Fifty  miles  east  of  Camaguey  we 


THE  GREAT  CUBA  RAILWAY  137 

reach  the  border-line  of  Santiago  Province,  which  com- 
prises the  entire  eastern  end  of  Cuba,  and  25  miles  beyond 
the  line  come  to  a  small  place  known  as  Victoria  de  las 
Tunas,  locally  celebrated  for  an  action  in  the  Cuban  war, 
and  more  recently  made  prominent  by  the  railway  eating- 
station  established  here.  A  good  meal  is  furnished,  and 
twenty  minutes  in  which  to  consume  it,  then  the  train 
rolls  on  again,  into  a  region  different  from  the  open  plains 
of  Santa  Clara  and  Principe.  It  is  a  forest  region  we  have 
entered  now,  where  the  wood  giants  come  crowding  down  to 
the  very  rails,  and  every  station  is  piled  high  with  cords 
of  scented  cedar  and  mahogany.  This  latter  wood  is  so  com- 
mon, even,  that  it  has  been  used  for  railway  ties,  though 
not  so  good  for  the  purpose  as  those  brought  from  the 
North. 

At  the  station  of  Cacociim,  463  miles  from  Havana,  one 
sees  a  survival  of  the  olden  mode  of  conveyance  in  the  mud- 
bespattered  volant cs  drawn  up  beside  the  platform,  awaiting 
passengers  for  Holguin.  At  the  next  station,  Lciviston,  a 
great  gap  has  been  made  in  the  forest  wilderness  by  enter- 
prising Americans,  who  have  thousands  of  acres  under  the 
axe,  and  are  reaching  southward  toward  the  valley  of  the 
Canto,  where  they  purpose  establishing  a  vast  rancho  for 
the  raising  of  cattle. 

Alto  Cedro,  or  the  "Tall  Cedar,"  is  a  junction  station  on 
the  "Cuba"  line  w^here  a  branch  diverges  for  the  Bay  of  Nipe 
— previously  described.  It  is  in  the  centre  of  Santiago  Prov- 
ince, and  seems  destined  also  to  be  the  centre  of  future  de- 
velopment, though  at  present  right  in  the  wilderness.  Here 
and  beyond  we  see  the  great  ceiba  trees,  their  huge  but- 
tressed bulks  covered  over  with  air-plants,  hung  with  long 
lianas,  or  bush-ropes — suggestions  of  the  dense  forests  that 
occur  in  the  interior  region,  the  skirt  of  which  the  railroad 
touches. 

At  the  station  of  Moron,  only  11  miles  from  Santiago,  a 
short  branch  projects  northward  to  Maya,  whence  it  will 
some  day  be  extended  to  the  hills  above  Guantanamo,  where 
coffee  and  all  the  spices  can  be  grown  to  perfection.  Hence, 
northerly  and  easterly,  the  region  is  a  wild  one.  almost  un- 
known to  the  traveller ;  but  southerly  the  railroad  has  pene- 


138  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST  INDIES 

trated,  opening  up  a  veritable  Eden  of  fruitful  lands  and 
attractive  scenery.  Nearing  Santiago  exquisitely  rounded 
hills  appear,  crowned  with  palms,  and  the  rude  huts  called 
by  the  aborigines  bohios,  within  which  Cubans  dwell  to-day, 
leading  as  simple  a  life  as  their  ancestors  led  before  the  ad- 
vent of  the  railway.  Suddenly  we  emerge  from  the  tropical 
gardens  of  Crista  and  Ciibitas,  where  fruits  gleam  on  the 
trees  and  flowers  fill  the  air  with  fragrance,  and  before  us 
lies  the  beautiful  bay  of  Santiago,  for  a  description  of  which 
see  page  119. 

RAILROAD   RATES  FROM  HAVANA 

1st  3d 
U.  S.  Cy.    U.  S.  Cy. 

To  Matanzas  $3.10  $1.57 

To  Jovellanos  4  •  60  2 .  32 

To  Santa   Clara 8.43  4.24 

To  Ciego  de  Avila 12 .  62  6 .  33 

To  Camaguey  15-40  7-72 

To  Cacocum,  for  Holguin  and  Gibara...     20.62  10.33 

To  Alto  Cedro 21.87  10.96 

To  Santiago 24.02  12.03 

To  Nuevitas    18.06  9.05 

To  Nipe    23.23  11.63 

Round-trip  tickets   on  railroad,   double  the   single   fare. 
Connections  with  Cuba.  New  York  and  north  coast :  The 
Munson  Line,  sailings  fortnightly,  for  Nipe,  Nuevitas,  Puerto 
Padre,  Gibara,  Banes,  etc. 

1st  Cabin  Intermediate 

o.w.         R.T.  O.W.  R.T. 

New  York  and  Nipe $35        $60  $20        $35 

"  "      Nuevitas 35  60  20  35 

"  "      Puerto  Padre..       45  —  30  — 

"      Gibara  45  80  30  55 

"  "      Banes    45  —  30  — 

Special  deck  staterooms,  $5  extra  each  person. 

New  York  and  Havana :  The  Ward  Line,  two  sailings  each 
week,  each  way.  Leave  New  York  Thursdays  and  Satur- 
days, arrive  Havana  Mondays  and  Wednesdays.  Leave  Ha- 
vana Tuesdays  and  Saturdays,  arrive  New  York  Fridays  and 
Tuesdays.  Rates:  one  way  $40,  return  $70.  Intermediate, 
one-half;  second-class,  $12.50. 


THE  GREAT  CUBA  RAILWAY  139 

New  York  and  south-coast  ports :  Ward  Line,  sailings 
weekly,  for  Guantanamo,  Santiago,  Manzanillo,  and 
Cienfuegos.  Leave  New  York  Fridays,  arrive  Nassau 
(Bahamas)  Tuesdays,  Guantanamo  Thursdays,  Santiago 
Saturdays.  Return,  leave  Santiago  Mondays,  arrive  Nassau 
Wednesdays,  and  New  York  Sundays.  Rates :  Guantanamo 
and  Santiago,  $50,  return  $90;  Manzanillo,  $60;  Cienfuegos 
(via  Havana),  $45,  return  $85.  Passengers  remaining  on 
board  at  Cuban  ports  pay  $4,  gold,  per  day,  first-class; 
$2  per  day  second-class ;  berth  and  meals. 

New  Orleans  and  Havana :  Southern  Pacific  Line,  from 
New  Orleans  every  Saturday ;  from  Havana  every  Tuesday. 
Rates:  First  cabin  $20,  round  trip  $35. 

Miami.  Tampa,  Key  West,  and  Havana:  Peninsular  and 
Occidental  Line,  connecting  with  the  Florida  East  Coast 
Railway  and  Atlantic  Coast  Line,  via  Miami  and  Tampa. 
Leave  Havana  Mondays,  Wednesdays  and  Fridays,  for  Key 
West  and  Miami ;  Tuesdays,  Wednesdays  and  Saturdays  for 
Key  West  and  Tampa. 

Santiago  to  Jamaica :  Steamer  Turhinia,  twice  a  week 
each  way  in  winter.  Six  hours'  run  by  daylight.  Head 
office.  Toronto,  Canada. 

Coastwise  Steamers :  The  Herrera  Line :  all  ports  on 
north  coast,  Santiago,  Santo  Domingo,  Porto  Rico.  Fre- 
quent sailings. 

Cuban  Steamship  Co. :  Batabano  to  Santiago  and  inter- 
mediate ports. 

A  Del  Calado  y  Ca. :  Steamers  for  Bahia  Honda  and  north- 
west ports.     Address,  1-3  Oficios,  Havana. 

Isle  of  Pines,  steamer  leaves  Batabano  for  Isle  of  Pines 
Sunday  and  Thursday ;  return  Tuesday  and  Friday. 

Vuelta  Abajo  Steamship  Company  from  Batabano,  con- 
necting  with   United   Railways,   ports    west   of   Batabano. 

Historical.  On  October  28,  1492,  Cuba  was  discovered  by 
Christopher  Columbus,  who  landed  on  the  north  coast, 
probably  at  Gibara  or  Nipe,  though  his  landfall  is 
1492  still  a  matter  of  dispute.  He  returned  to  the  south 
coast  of  Cuba  after  he  had  colonised  in  Haiti,  but 
did  not  found  a  settlement,  and  died  in  the  belief  that  it 
was  a  continent. 


140  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST  INDIES 

This  year  Cuba  was  first  circumnavigated,  and  its  insular 
character    ascertained.      It  was    found   well   populated   with 

Indians,  of  the  same  gentle  nature,  dusky  red  in 
1508        hue,     naked    and    inoffensive,    that    inhabited     the 

Bahamas. 
Three   years   later,    in    1511,    Don    Diego    Velasquez    sailed 
from  the  port  of  Santo  Domingo  for  Cuba,  with  four  ships 

and  300  men,  sent  out  by  Diego  Columbus,  son  of 
151 1        Christopher,    who    was   then   governor.      With    him 

went  Hernando  Cortes,  who  afterward  conquered 
Mexico.  They  first  landed  at  a  natural  port  on  the  south 
coast,  which  they  called  Las  Palmas,  or  the  Palms,  not  far 
from  the  present  Guantanamo ;  but  the  first  settlement  was 
at  Baracoa,  on  the  north  coast,  in  1512.  Velasquez  then  re- 
turned to  the  south  coast,  where  he  founded  Bayamo,  Trini- 
dad, and  Batabano,  finally  settling  at  Santiago,  in  1515. 

Cortes  sailed  for  Mexico  the  same  year  that  Havana  was 
founded  by  transferring  settlers  from  Batabano.     The  first 

landing-place  here  is  now  indicated  by  a  small  chapel 
1519         called  the   templetc  and  near   it   grows   a   scion   of 

the  original  silk-cotton  tree,  beneath  which  a  mass 
was  said  at  the  landing.  Owing  to  its  commanding  position, 
Havana  became  a  place-of-call  for  all  ships  passing  through 
the  Florida  channel,  and  was  called  the  "Key  of  the  New 
World";  but  its  prosperity  attracted  also  the  buccaneers  and 
pirates,  who  preyed  upon  Spanish  commerce,  a  band  of 
whom  sacked  the  city. 
The  King  of  Spain  ordered  two  great  castles  to  be  built, 
the  Batcria  dc  la  Piinta  and  La  Fuer::a,  or  "Battery  of  the 

Point."  and  the  "Fort,"  which  may  still  be  seen  in 
1528         Havana,    among     the    first    objects    to    claim    the 

stranger's  attention.  Together  with  the  Morro,  on 
the  opposite  side  of  the  harbour,  they  effectually  defended 
Havana — after  they  were  finished  ;  but  this  was  not  until 
nearly  a  century  later,  for  when  Sir  Francis  Drake  threat- 
ened the  city,  in  1585  and  1592.  and  the  Dutch  buccaneers  in 
1628.   they  were  still   incomplete. 

Ponce  de  Leon,  discoverer  of  Florida,  was  brought  to  Ha- 
vana in  1521,  where  he  died  from  a  wound  caused  by  an 
Indian  arrow.     In  1528  Pamphilo  de  Narvaez  outfitted  here 


^n 


THE  GREAT  CUBA  RAILWAY  141 

an  expedition  that  passed  through  Florida  and  never  re- 
turned. This  year  there  sailed  the  largest  expedi- 
1539  tion  from  Havana,  that  of  De  Soto,  for  Florida, 
v^hich  ended  in  his  burial  beneath  the  waters  of  the 
Mississippi.  His  w^ife,  the  Dona  Isabel,  was  left  at  Havana, 
where  she  occupied  the  unfinished  Fucrza,  from  the  parapets 
of  which  she  watched  vainly,  many  months,  the  return  of  his 
ships,  finally  dying  in  despair. 

Santiago,  Havana's  chief  rival,  was  also  at  the  mercy  of 
pirates  in  its  early  years,  before  the  fortifications  were  com- 
pleted. That  year  a  Frenph  privateer  invaded  the 
1553  harbour,  and  for  two  days  fought  a  Spanish  cruiser 
there,  the  third  night  crawling  out  to  sea  and  es- 
caping, though  seriously  crippled.  In  1553  Santiago  was 
taken  by  400  French  buccaneers,  who  held  it  a  month,  when 
$80,000  was  paid  for  its  ransom.  Sir  Francis  Drake  and  other 
privateers  frequently  paid  their  compliments  to  the  forts  in 
passing,  and  it  is  a  tradition  that  in  the  mud  of  the  harbour 
lie  the  remains  of  a  Spanish  galleon  that  once  formed  part 
of  the  great  Spanish  Armada  destroyed  by  the  British  in 
1588.  Santiago  was  held  to  be  the  capital  of  Cuba  until 
1608,  when  Havana  was  made  the  seat  of  government,  which 
it  has  continued  to  be  ever  since.  In  1534  and  1554  Havana 
was  taken  by  the  French,  as  well  as  by  the  Dutch  in  1624 ; 
but  the  Spaniards  regained  it  again  by  paying  heavy  ran- 
soms. 
Cuba  was  frequently  invaded  by  foreigners  at  war  with 
Spain,  its  coasts  were  so  vulnerable  and  its  cities  so  wealthy. 
In  1662  the  English  attacked  Santiago  with  800 
1662-1762  men,  and  having  taken  the  city  carried  off  all  its 
treasure,  slaves,  church-bells,  and  even  the  guns 
from  the  forts.  The  Morro  was,  however,  rebuilt  in  1663. 
and  exists  to-day,  having  survived  the  fire  of  Sampson's 
fleet  during  the   Spanish-American  War. 

In  1762  the  Spaniards  lost  possession  of  the  island  through 
the  capture  of  Havana  by  the  British  under  Lord  Albemarle. 
They  were  assisted  by  Colonial  troops  from  New  England, 
among  whom  was  "Old  Wolf  Putnam,"  who  commanded  a 
regiment  and  helped  capture  a  fort.  Twenty  years  previ- 
ously George  Washington's  brother,  Major  Lawrence,  was 


142  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST   INDIES 

in  Lord  Vernon's  futile  expedition  off  the  south  coast  of 
Cuba,  on  his  return  from  which  he  named  his  plantation 
after  his  commander — j\Iount  Vernon.  It  cost  the  Ameri- 
can colonies  of  Great  Britain,  it  is  said,  $16,000,000  and 
30,000  lives,  to  acquire  Cuba  in  1762;  but  the  next  year  it 
was  exchanged  for  Florida,  and  the  Spaniards  held  pos- 
session continuously  thereafter,  until  expelled  by  American 
soldiers  and  sailors  in  1898. 

Cuba  continued  to  prosper  for  nearly  a  century,  but  during 
the  first  half  of  the  nineteenth  century  were  occasionally 
manifested  signs  of  those  disturbances  which  culminated  in 
the  rebellions  of  its  latter  half.  Spanish  cruelties,  long- 
continued,  brought  about  the  eventual  loss  of  Cuba  to  the 
Spanish  crown,  and  the  wonder  is  that  it  remained  loyal  to 
Spain  for  nearly  four  centuries.  The  Spaniards  found  an 
Indian  population  here  of  perhaps  a  million ;  but  the  natives 
were  soon  exterminated,  and  negro  slaves  imported  to  take 
their  place  on  the  plantations.  In  the  course  of  years  this 
black  population  and  allied  mixtures  became  numerically 
larger  than  the  white,  but  until  1866  remained  in  slavery. 
Owing  to  repeated  outrages  upon  the  people,  and  especially 
to  Spanish  official  rapacity — nearly  all  the  island's  income 
going  annually  to  Spain,  or  being  absorbed  by  Spaniards  in 
Cuba — a  condition  of  unrest  was  developed  which  rose  to 
the  magnitude  of  rebellion  about  the  middle  of  the  last  cen- 
tury. Perceiving  the  trend  of  affairs,  the  United  States 
Senate,  in  1845,  discussed  the  possible  purchase  of  Cuba, 
and  in  1848  President  Polk  authorised  the  American  IMinister 
at  Madrid  to  offer  Spain  $100,000,000  for  the  island.  This 
offer  was  scornfully  refused  by  Spain,  and  realising  the 
hopelessness  of  their  condition,  the  desperate  Cubans  made 
frequent  but  ineffectual  efforts  to  obtain  their  freedom. 
A  former  Spanish  soldier,  Narciso  Lopez,  organised  an 
expedition  against  Cuba  for  the  purpose  of  exciting  an  in- 
surrection, landing  at  Cardenas  with  600  men,  May 
1850-78  19,  1850.  He  was  driven  off,  but  returned  the  next 
August,  with  450  men,  was  taken  in  battle,  and 
executed  in  Havana.  American  adventurers  also  lost  their 
lives  in  these  attempts  to  arouse  the  Cubans  to  resist  their  op- 
pressors; but  their  blood  was  poured  out  in  vain,   for  the 


THE  GREAT  CUBA  RAILWAY  143 

supine  people  had  neither  courage  nor  energy.  After  a 
while,  however,  native  leaders  rose  to  prominence,  and  fi- 
nally a  rebellion  broke  out.  in  1868,  which  lasted  until  1878 
before  it  was  quelled.  This  was  the  "Ten  Years'  War," 
which  raged  in  the  island  with  terrible  ravage,  and  was  ter- 
minated by  a  treaty,  the  Peace  of  Zanjon,  which  Spain  soon 
after  violated. 

Important  reforms  were  promised  by  the  Spanish  Govern- 
ment, but  never  carried  out,  so  that,  after  a  few  years,  an- 
other revolutionary  movement  was  organised  by  the 
1892  old  leaders,  which  eventuated  in  a  determined  effort 
for  independence.  It  became  so  formidable  in  1895 
that  Spain  sent  out  General  Campos  to  suppress  it;  but  he 
was  unsuccessful  and  in  his  place  came  "Butcher"  Weyler 
next  year.  What  followed  is  a  matter  of  history  so  recent 
that  it  is  hardly  necessary  to  narrate  it ;  but  the  chief  scenes 
of  the  war  will  be  depicted  as  they  occur  in  the  itinerary  of 
travel  through  the  island.  The  leaders  were  Gomez,  Garcia, 
and  the  Maceos,  who  pursued  their  old  tactics  of  guerrilla 
warfare,  keeping  the  Spaniards  continually  alert,  at  one  time 
coming  close  to  the  city  of  Havana,  at  another  appearing 
in  a  remote  province,  but  rarely  engaging  in  actual  battle. 
This  mode  of  warfare  w-ent  on  during  1895,  1896  and  1897, 
during  which  "Butcher"  Weyler  was  carrying  out  remorse- 
lessly his  policy  of  extermination  by  starving  the  reconcen- 
trados  in  camps.  He  was  recalled  and  superseded  by  Blanco ; 
but  his  evil  work  went  on.  until  the  culmination  of  atrocities 
came  in  the  blowing  up  of  the  American  battleship,  Maine, 
at  her  moorings  in  Havana  harbour.  February  15,  1898. 
Expulsion  of  the  Spaniards.  By  that  dastardly  mas- 
sacre of  260  American  ofificers  and  sailors,  in  the  harbour  of 
Havana,  Spain  shattered  the  fabric  of  officialdom 
1898  in  Cuba  and  caused  the  collapse  of  her  government. 
By  the  mtervention  of  the  United  States,  and  the 
short  though  bloody  campaign  that  ensued,  the  Spaniards 
were  driven  from  the  island,  and  the  Cuban  patriots  placed 
in  possession  of  their  own.  The  island  of  Cuba,  which,  a 
Spanish  statesman  had  vauntingly  declared,  there  was  not 
money  enough  in  the  United  States  to  purchase,  within  100 
days  from  the  declaration  of  war  was  freed  from  the  tyran- 


144  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST  INDIES 

nical  power  that  had  oppressed  her  for  centuries,  and  by 
midsummer,  1898,  the  Spanish  soldiers  were  fugitives. 

By  the  terms  of  the  Treaty  of  Peace,  signed  at  Paris,  De- 
cember 10,  1898,  Cuba  passed  into  the  hands  of  the  United 
States  Government,  and  the  first  day  of  January,  1899,  wit- 
nessed the  departure  of  Blanco  and  all  his  soldiers  for 
Spain. 

During  the  three  years  in  which  the  United  States  had 
virtual  possession  of  Cuba,  administering  her  affairs  through 
the  War  Department,  great  reforms  were  v^Tought 
1899-  and  extensive  improvements  carried  out,  which 
have  already  resulted  to  the  immeasurable  benefit 
of  the  island.  Roads  w^ere  built ;  parks  embellished  ;  cities 
(like  Havana  and  Santiago)  cleansed,  disinfected,  and  rid 
of  yellow  fever,  which  had  never  before  been  effected ; 
schools  established,  and  commerce  assisted  by  a  treaty  which 
gave  Cuba  a  great  advantage  over  the  United  States.  IMil- 
lions  of  dollars  were  poured  into  the  island,  as  American 
blood  had  been  poured  out  in  its  defence,  so  that  the  Cubans 
were  in  a  better  state  than  ever  before,  their  neighbouring 
republic  having  sacrificed  herself  for  their  betterment.  Their 
first  President,  Thomas  Estrada  Palma,  was  elected  in  Decem- 
ber, 1901.  and  on  May  20.  1902,  the  United  States  formally 
withdrew ;  only  to  be  recalled,  however,  in  1907,  on  account 
of  hopeless  disagreement  between  the  political  rulers.* 

*A  complete  bibliography  of  Cuba  would  include  scores  of  books, 
and  cannot  be  given  here.  A  magazine,  the  Criba  Revi^ti\  published 
at  82  Beaver  Street,  New  York,  is  devoted  to  the  island's  interests, 
and  contains,  in  its  monthly  issues,  many  beautiful  illustrations. 
Exquisitelv  illustrated  "folders"  are  sent 'out  by  the  United  Rail- 
ways of  Havana,  the  Central  Railway,  etc.,  while  a  local  Guide, 
published  by  Foster  and  Reynolds,  Havana,  gives  a  vast  amount  of 
information. 


JAMAICA 

General  Description.  The  island  of  Jamaica  (685,000 
population),  which  is  still  known  by  its  aboriginal  appella- 
tion, meaning  a  "land  of  springs  and  streams,"  lies  almost 
due  south  of  New  York,  from  which  it  is  distant  about 
1,500  miles;  from  England,  southwest,  about  5,000  miles; 
from  Haiti,  west,  100  miles ;  from  Cuba,  south,  90  miles ; 
from  Colon,  northeast,  540  miles.  It  is  surrounded  by  the 
Caribbean  Sea,  is  144  miles  in  greatest  length,  49  in  greatest 
breadth,  and  21  in  the  narrowest  part.  It  is  divided  into 
3  counties.  Surrey  (in  the  east),  Middlesex,  and  Cornwall 
(in  the  west)  ;  and  14  parishes,  7  of  which  bear  the  names 
of  saints.  Its  total  area  is  4,207  square  miles,  equal  to 
2.692,587  acres,  of  which  only  about  646  square  miles,  or 
413,440  acres,  are  level.  The  area  under  cultivation  (1906) 
was  774,961  acres,  of  which  nearly  60,000  acres  were  in 
bananas,  28,000  in  coffee,  27,000  in  sugar-cane,  10,000  in 
cocoanuts,  and  6,000  in  cacao.  Sugar-cane  cultivation  has 
been  largely  superseded  by  fruits,  especially  bananas  and 
oranges,  of  which  15,000,000  bunches  of  the  former  and 
75,000,000  of  the  latter  were  exported  in  1906,  the  bulk  of 
both  going  to  the  United  States. 

There  is  still  a  large  amount  of  Crown  land  in  the  island, 
chiefly  located  on  the  hills  and  mountains,  to  the  extent  of 
191,900  acres,  which  may  be  had  at  the  almost  nominal  price 
of  a  pound  sterling  per  acre.  The  best  land,  however,  has 
long  been  under  cultivation,  the  Crown  lands  being  gener- 
ally situated  at  such  a  distance  from  towns  and  seaports 
as  to  be  almost  valueless  for  profitable  culture. 

That  Jamaica  is  a  mountainous  island  may  be  seen  at  a 
glance,  by  the  appended  altitudes  of  a  few  peaks  and  passes. 
The  highest  is  Blue  Mountain  Peak.  7.423  feet ;  Portland 
Gap  is  5,549;  Catherine's  Peak,  5,036;  Cinchona  Plantation, 
6,100;  Cold  Spring  Gap,  4,523;  Hardware  Gap.  4,079;  New- 
castle, 3,800;    Mount   Diablo,   2.300;    Mandeville,  2,131;   etc. 

Rivers   and   Springs   are    literally   "too    numerous   for 


146  A  GUIDE  TO   THE  WEST   INDIES 

mention,"  yet  too  beautiful  to  be  overlooked.  The  most  in- 
teresting will  be  described  as  they  are  met  with  in  the  course 
of  travel  about  the  island ;  but  the  hot  and  mineral  springs  of 
Jamaica  deserve  especial  prominence  from  the  curative  quali- 
ties of  their  waters.  The  warm  salt  spring  at  Milk  River, 
parish  of  Clarendon,  is  called  one  of  the  most  remarkable  in 
the  world.  It  is  saline  and  purgative,  with  temperature  of 
92°,  and  remarkably  efficacious  in  the  cure  of  gout,  rheuma- 
tism, paralysis  and  neuralgia.  Equally  famous,  locally,  is  the 
hot  sulphurous  spring  at  Bath,  in  the  parish  of  St.  Thomas, 
with  temperature  at  fountain-head  of  126°,  the  waters  of 
which  are  beneficial  in  gout,  rheumatism,  cutaneous  affec- 
tions, and  fevers.  Remarkable  in  this  connection  is  the  fact 
that  a  spring  of  pure  cold  water  gushes  from  the  same  hill- 
side. Public  baths  are  maintained  at  both  places,  and  suffer- 
ing humanity  can  obtain  relief  from  some  of  its  ills  at  a 
moderate  charge  for  treatment. 

Very  few  of  Jamaica's  streams  are  navigable,  the  Black 
River  and  one  other  being  exceptions,  with  about  25  miles  of 
waterway  capable  of  travel  by  boat.  Most  of  them,  descend- 
ing from  the  mountains,  are  short-lived  and  tumultuous, 
thus  displaying  many  beautiful  cascades  and  waterfalls,  such 
as  those  of  Roaring  River  in  St.  Ann's,  the  White  River,  etc., 
Some  of  them  pursue  a  subterranean  course  for  a  distance, 
then  emerge  with  considerable  volume,  perhaps  to  sink 
again,  or  finally  lose  themselves  in  the  sea. 

Mineral  Resources.  The  island  has  never  been  looked 
upon  as  possessing  resources  worth  exploiting  of  this  char- 
acter, but  some  gold,  much  copper,  iron,  lead,  cobalt  and 
manganese  have  been  found,  though  not  in  quantities  suffi- 
cient for  profitable  working.  The  Spaniards  mined  copper 
in  the  old  days,  and  the  bell  from  Port  Royal,  preserved  in 
the  Institute  of  Jamaica  at  Kingston,  is  said  to  have  been 
cast  from  native  copper. 

Caverns.  Jamaica  has  no  great  caverns  like  those  of 
Bellamar  in  Cuba,  but  in  the  Hmestone  formation  of  the 
island  are  many  caves  and  "sink-holes"  that  are  quite  re- 
markable. Two  miles  east  of  Dry  Harbour,  on  the  north 
coast,  is  a  beautiful  cave  with  grottoes,  galleries  and  domes 
hung   with  stalactites;   from   Grand   Cave,  at  River  Head, 


JAMAICA  147 

St.  Thomas  in  ye  Vale,  the  Rio  Cobre  emerges ;  at  Mex- 
ico, in  St.  Elizabeth,  is  a  cave  nearly  a  mile  in  length ;  and 
the  Peru  Cave,  in  the  same  parish,  is  noted  for  its  fine 
stalactites  and  stalagmites.  Nearly  every  parish  in  the  lime- 
stone portion  of  the  island,  in  fact,  can  boast  its  cave,  of 
greater  or  lesser  dimensions,  which  in  former  times  was 
the  abode,  or  resort,  cf  the  Indians  who  inhabited  here  be- 
fore the  Spaniards.  Some  of  these  caves  contained  most  in- 
teresting remains  of  the  aborigines,  which  were  collected  and 
exhibited  in   the   Institute  of  Jamaica. 

Climate  and  Vegetation.  As  might  be  expected  of  an 
island  in  mid-tropics  with  several  mountains  more  than  a 
thousand  feet  in  height.  Jamaica  possesses  a  great  variety 
of  climate.  It  varies,  of  course,  with  the  altitude,  the  tem- 
perature at  the  sea-coast  being  from  70°  to  85°,  and  in  the 
mountains  sometimes  as  low  as  45°  to  50°.  The  average 
temperature  of  Kingston,  for  a  period  extending  over  ten 
years,  has  been  given  as:  minimum  70.7°,  and  maximum 
87.8°.  There  is  a  decrease  of  about  one  degree  for  every  300 
feet  of  altitude,  and  the  mean  register  at  Blue  Mountain 
Peak,  7,360  feet  above  the  sea,  is  55.7°. 

Thus  every  variety  of  vegetation  may  be  observed  in 
Jamaica,  including  the  palms  and  bananas  of  the  coast,  all 
the  tropical  and  semi-tropical  fruits  and  flowers,  and  many 
of  the  temperate  zone.  There  are  really  here,  as  in  Mex- 
ico, three  different  zones  of  vegetation,  the  hot,  the  warm 
or  temperate,  and  the  cold,  each  zone  with  its  own  vege- 
table forms,  though  merged  in  a  vast  and  confusing  dis- 
play, extending  from  coast  to  mountain-top.  If  one  would 
see  these  varieties  differentiated,  he  should  visit  such  spots  as 
the  Hope  and  Castleton  gardens,  and  the  Government  Plan- 
tation at  Cinchona,  the  trio  presenting  a  more  varied  di.-play. 
probably,  than  any  other  group  of  botanical  gardens  equal 
in  area. 

Exports,  Imports,  Revenues.  The  resources  of  Ja- 
maica are  agricultural.  With  every  kind  of  fertile  soil,  at 
every  degree  of  altitude  within  the  habitable  zones,  the  island 
can  produce  anything  earth  can  yield.  Sugar  is  now  grown 
more  for  the  concomitant  rum.  perhaps,  than  for  its  own 
sweet  self;  but  the  rum  has  a  fame  second  to  no  other  in 


148  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST  INDIES 

the  world.  Blue  ^Mountain  coffee,  it  is  said,  brings  a  higher 
price  than  any  other ;  and  if  all  tropical  fruits  were  culti- 
vated with  the  attention  that  is  now  bestowed  upon 
bananas,  especially  oranges,  grape-fruit,  shaddock  and  limes, 
mangos,  avocado  pears  and  guavas,  in  these  industries 
Jamaica  could  lead  most  of  the  Caribbean  Islands. 

Aside  from  comparatively  small  shipments  of  cigars,  the 
bulk  of  Jamaica's  exports  are  of  natural  products.  They 
amounted,  in  the  year  1905-6,  to  a  little  more  than  $10,000.- 
000,  of  which  the  fruits,  bananas  and  oranges,  comprised 
about  one-half,  dye  and  cabinet  w^oods  one-sixth,  coffee 
one-seventh,  sugar  one-eighth,  rum  one-tenth,  and  pimento 
one-eleventh,  the  remainder  being  miscellaneous  products. 
The  island  imports  all  its  manufactured  products,  much  of 
its  food-stuffs,  and  all  its  liquors  (beer  and  spirits)  save 
rum.  From  the  manner  in  which  the  duties  on  imports  are 
applied,  the  authorities  evidently  agree  with  the  Frenchman 
who  said  that,  given  his  luxuries,  he  could  get  along  with- 
out the  necessaries,  for  the  former  are  taxed  lightly,  the  lat- 
ter heavily.  Imports  in  latter  years  have  been  about  the 
same  as  the  exports  in  value,  and  this  agreeable  condition 
is  also  manifest  in  the  revenues  and  expenditures,  the  latter 
keeping  just  within  the  former.  This  happy  state  of  affairs 
is,  however,  more  apparent  than  actual,  since  the  Home  Gov- 
ernment pays  a  large  portion  of  governmental  expenses. 

Roads  and  Railways.  No  island  in  the  West  Indies,  per- 
haps no  country  in  the  world,  has  a  finer  system  of  highways 
than  Jamaica,  for  it  boasts  nearly  2,000  miles  of  excellent 
roadways,  forming  not  only  an  enclosing  chain  around  the 
island  but  a  network  throughout  every  habitable  portion. 
On  account  of  the  conformation  of  the  island,  says  the  very 
excellent  Handbook  of  Jamaica  (which  every  intending  visi- 
tor to  the  island  should  possess,  by  the  way),  the  system 
of  main  roads,  until  comparatively  recent  years,  consisted 
of  a  belt-line  running  round  the  island,  with  few  exceptions 
along  the  sea-coast,  with  loop  lines  on  the  plains  of  St. 
Andrew,  St.  Catherine,  and  St.  Elizabeth,  and  with  three 
cross-connections  from  the  south  to  the  north  :  one  by  way 
of  Stony  Hill  from  Kingston  to  Annotto  Bay;  a  second 
from  Spanish  Town  to  St.  Ann's  Bay,  by  way  of  Mount 


JAMAICA  149 

Diablo;  and  the  third  from  Savanna  la  Mar  to  Montego 
Bay,  via  Mackficld;  crossing  the  central  range  of  hills  at  ele- 
vations of   about    1,350,    1,800.    and    i.ooo   feet,    respectively. 

Commencing  at  Kingston,  the  old  system  of  main  roads 
passed  through  all  the  principal  ports  and  towns  of  the 
island.  Founded  on  it  as  a  basis  there  has  been,  either 
constructed  as  new  roads,  or  more  generally  taken  over  as 
parochial  roads  and  reconstructed,  an  extensive  mileage  of 
other  roads,  until  the  whole  length  of  main  roads  aggre- 
gates at  the  present  time  about  1,930  miles.  Nearly  all  are 
good  driving  roads,  of  a  width  nearly  everywhere  sufficient 
for  a  double  line  of  traffic,  and  maintained  in  good, condition. 
On  some  of  them  heavy  gradients  are  to  be  encountered, 
but  not  sufficient  to  prevent  their  being  "negotiated"  by 
automobiles  or  motor  cars,  and,  while  some  streams  must  be 
forded,  most  of  them  are  spanned  by  bridges  of  solid  con- 
struction. Some  of  these  roads  attain  to  respectable  alti- 
tudes, as  the  road  over  the  Santa  Cruz  mountains,  a  height 
of  2,200  feet  at  Malvern ;  that  from  Shooter's  Hill  to  Ulster 
Springs,  in  Manchester,  3,000  feet ;  up  the  Blue  Mountain 
Valley,  in  St.  Thomas.  2,750  feet;  while  the  new  road  from 
Gordon  Town  via  Newcastle  to  Buff  Bay,  at  Hardware  Gap 
touches  4,000  feet. 

Jamaica's  Railway  System.  Jamaica  has  the  longest  sys- 
tem of  railways  in  the  West  Indies,  next  to  Cuba,  as  fol- 
lows :  Kingston  to  Montego  Bay,  traversing  three-fifths  of 
the  island,  113  miles;  Kingston  to  Ewarton,  29  miles,  and 
Kingston  to  Port  Antonio,  on  the  northeast  coast,  74^  miles. 
The  fares  are:  first-class  twopence  (or  four  cents)  per  mile, 
and  third-class  one  penny  (or  tfwo  cents)  a  mile.  This  sys- 
tem was  more  than  fifty  years  in  building,  having  been  com- 
menced in  1845,  and  finished  in  1896.  At  first  a  govern- 
ment property,  it  was  transferred  to  private  ownership,  then 
again  reverted  to  the  Jamaican  government,  in  whose  pos- 
session it  remains  to-day. 


ISO 


A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST   INDIES 

RAILWAY   TIME   TABLE 
AIoNTEGO  Bay  Line 


Trains  from  Kingston 


Kingston 

Gregory  Park... 
Grange  Lane  .  ... 
Spanish  Town... 

Hartlands 

Bushy  Park 

Old  Harbour 

May  Pen 

Four  Paths 

Clarendon  Park, 

Porus 

Williamsfield 

Kendal     

Greenvale 

Balaclava 

Appleton 

Ipswich 

Catadupa 

Cambridge 

Montpelier 

Anchovy 

Montego  Bay — 


Daily,  except 
Sunday 


7.40  a.m. 

7-57  *' 

8.05  " 

8.20  " 

8.30  " 

8.42  " 

8.51  " 

9.28  " 

9.46  " 

,9.58  " 


Wednes- 
day onl}' 


8.ioi 
8.36 
8.50 
Arr.  9.15 


Daily,  except 

Sunday 


.45a.m. 

.05  '' 

•13  ' 

.24  " 

•34  '' 

.46  " 

•56  " 
.22  p.m. 

•34  " 
•51  ' 
•05 

•35  " 

:il  ■; 

•55 

•  23  " 
•59 

■31  ' 
•51 

•17  " 

•30  " 
•55   ' 


Daily,  except 
Sunday 


4.15p.m. 

4^32  " 
4.IO 

4.5X  ;; 

5.02  ' 

5.14  '' 

5-24 

5-49  " 

6.01  " 

6.18  " 

6.31  " 

7.00  " 

7.08  " 


Trains  to  Kingston 


Wednesdays 
only 


Montego  Bay.... 

Anchovy 

Montpelier 

Cambridge 

Catadupa 

Ipswich 

Appleton 

Balaclava 

Greenvale 

Kendal 

Williamsfield  .. . 

Porus    

Clarendon  Park 

Four  Paths 

May  Pen 

Old  Harbour  ... 

Bushy  Park 

Hartlands 

Spanish  Town. . 
Grange  Lane  . . . 
Gregory  Park  .. 
Kingston 


4.2c  p.m. 

4-47     " 

5.10     " 

Arr.  5.28     " 


I     Daily,  ex- 
f  cept  Sunday 


Daily,  except 
Sunday 


7.45  a.m. 


8.52 
9. II 

9^43 
10. 20 
10.49 
11.30 
11.56 
12.11  p 
^2.37 
12.57 


m. 


1.27 

1.54 
2.02 
2.14 
2.28 
2.41 
2.49 
Arr.  3.05 


Daily,  except 
Sunday 


3.30  p.m. 

3^46  " 

4.00  " 
4-^3  ' 
4.40 

4.48  " 

5^03  " 

5-22         ' 

Arr.  5.55 


JAMAICA 


151 


Port  Antonio  Line  and  Ewarton  Branch 


Trains  from 
Kingston 

Daily, 
except 

Sunday 

Daily, 
except 
Sunday 

Saturdays 
only 

Sundays 
only 

Sundays 
only 

Tv  inp't;ton 

2. 15  p  m. 
2.32       " 
2.40       " 
2-51       " 
3-i6      " 
3-37      ' 

1.11   " 

4-47       " 
5-13       " 
5-39      ' 
5-49 
6.05      " 

6.16  " 
6.35      " 
7.40  a.m. 

Z-57     i! 
8.05     ' 

8.23     " 
8.48     " 
g.oo      " 
Q-15       " 

7.00  a.m. 
7.17     " 
7-25     " 
7.36     " 

8.01  " 
8.22     '^'^ 

9.06     " 
9-35     " 
10.00     " 
10.26     " 
10.36     " 
10.52     " 
11.03     " 
11.22     " 
Arrive 

2.20  p.m. 
^•37     '' 

l:tl  ;; 

3.21 
342      ,, 
4.00 
4-23       ' 
^•53     .. 

5.18  ; 

5-44     „ 
.5-54 

Gregory  Park  

Grange  Lane  

Spanish  Town 

Bog  Walk 

Riversdale 

Richmond 

Annotto  Bay 

Buff  Bav 

Orange  Bay  

8.47     " 
9.04     " 
9.16 
9-35     " 

St.  Margaret's  Bay. 
Port  Antonio         . . . 

6.21     " 

6.40     " 
Arrive 

Kingston 

Gregory  Park 

Grange  Lane  

Spanish  Town 

Bog  Walk ... 

2.15  p.m. 
2.32     " 
2.40     " 

3.18     " 
3-40     '' 
4.00 

Ewarton                Arr 

Trains  to  Kingston 

Daily, 
except 
Sunday 

Daily, 
except 
Sunday 

Saturdays 
only 

Sundays 
only 

Sundays 
only 

Port  Antonio 

St.  Margaret's  Bay. 
Hope  Bav          .... 

7.00  a.m. 
7.20     " 
7.31     " 
7-47 

7-57  ;' 

8.23     " 
8.48     " 
Q.20     " 
9.40     " 
956     " 
10.24     " 
10.46     " 
10.56     " 
11.04     " 
11.20     " 
4.20  p.m. 

4-38  ;; 

4-53 

5.22 

5-31 
5-39 
5-55     " 

4.20  p.m. 
4.41     " 
4-53     '' 
5.10 
5.19     ' 

6.00  a.m. 
6.20     " 

6.47 
6.57     " 
7.24     " 
7-49     " 
8.20     " 
8.41      " 
8.59      " 
9.22     " 
9-47     " 
9-56     " 
10.04     " 
10.20     " 

2.00  p.m. 

2-31     " 
2.47     " 
2-57     " 
3-24     ' 
3-49     ,^ 
4.21 
4.42     " 
5.00 

t:i " 

5-57     ' 
6.21 

Buff  Bav 

Annotto  Bay     •.. 

Richmond 

Troja 

Riversdale 

Bog  Walk 

Spanish  Town 

Grange  Lane 

Gregory  Park 

Kin^^ston  .... 

Q.42  a.m. 
10.07      " 
10.22      " 
10.46     " 

10.56     " 
11.04     " 
11.20     " 

Arrive 

Bog  Walk 

Spanish  Town 

Grange  Lane 

Gregory  Park 

152  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST   INDIES 

Mail  Coaches.  ]\Iail  coaches  run  from  Kingston  to  all 
principal  places  that  are  not  reached  by  rail,  usually  three 
times  a  week,  the  fares  being  rea:|onable,  and  the  personal 
luggage  of  each  passenger  limited  to  twenty  pounds.  It  is 
cheaper  to  travel  by  stage-coach  than  by  private  carriage,  the 
general  charge  for  which,  with  two  horses,  is  a  pound  (or 
$5)  per  day  for  long  distances.  An  arrangement  can  be  made 
with  the  livery-stable  keeper,  by  which  either  he  or  the 
hirer  shall  pay  the  cost  of  feeding  the  driver  and  horses. 
The  driver's  food  costs  about  is.  6d.  per  day,  or  36  cents, 
and  feed  for  the  horses  according  to  the  local  current  rate 
for  grass  and  corn ;  but  it  is  not  high. 

In  addition,  there  are  the  Coastal  Steamers,  both  of  the 
Royal  Mail  Steam  Packet  Line  and  the  Imperial  Direct 
West  Indies  Mail  Service  Company,  which  follow  approxi- 
mately the  schedule  below  : 

Leave  Kingston  Monday  evening. 
Arrive   Alligator  Pond,  6  a.m.  Tuesday. 

Black  River,  10  a.m.  Tuesday. 

Savanna  la  Mar,  3  p.m.  Tuesday. 

Lucea,  6  a.m.  Wednesday. 

Montego  Bay,  10  a.m.  Wednesday. 

Falmouth.  2  p.m.  Wednesday. 

Dry  Harbour,  6  p.m.  Wednesday. 

St.  Ann's  Bay,   11  a.m.  Thursday. 

Port  Maria,  2  p.m.  Thursday. 

Port  Antonio,  7  p.m.  Thursday. 

Morant  Bay,  6  a.m.  Friday. 

Port  Morant,  noon  Friday. 
Leave     Port  Maria,  8  a.m.  Saturday. 

Ocho  Rios.  noon  Saturday. 

St.  Ann's  Bay,  2  p.m.  Saturday. 

Dry  Harbour,  5  p.m.  Saturday. 

Rio  Bueno,  9  a.m.  IMonday. 

Falmouth.  11  a.m.  Monday. 

Alontego  Bay,  2  p.m.  IMonday. 

Lucea,  4  p.m.  Monday. 

Savanna  la  Mar,  10  a.m.  Tuesday. 

Black  River,  i  p.m.  Tuesday. 

Alligator  Pond,  5  p.m.  Tuesday. 

Kingston   (arrive)    at  noon  Wednesday. 

The  fare  round  the  island— a  most  delightful  voyage,  with 
magnificent  scenery  all  the  way— is  only  £3,  first-class. 


JAMAICA  153 

Steamship  Lines.  United  States  and  Jamaica:  United 
Fruit  Company  (30  steamers),  weekly  sailings,  between  Port 
Antonio  and  New  York,  Philadelphia,  Boston,  and  Balti- 
more. Time,  four  to  five  days.  Winter  rates :  one  way  $40, 
return  $75.     Summer  rates :  one  way  $35  ;  round  trip  $60. 

Hamburg-American,  Atlas  Service,  weekly,  between  Jamaica 
and  New  York;  also  excursions  during  winter.  Rates:  one 
way  $40,  return  $72  on  the  large  steamers ;  on  the  smaller 
steamers,  one  way  $30;  return  $54.     Time,  five  to  six  days.. 

Royal  Mail,  Kingston  and  New  York;  every  two  weeks. 
Time  and  rates  same  as  above. 

England  and  Jamaica.  Royal  Mail,  Southampton  and 
Kingston,  fortnightly;  fine  fleet,  oldest  established  (1845). 
"Rates  on  application." 

Imperial  Direct  West  India  Mail,  Bristol  and  Kingston, 
fortnightly  sailings  each  way.  Fares:  singly  ii8  to  £25,  re- 
turn £32  to  £40.  Summer  rates  greatly  reduced.  Voyage 
about  twelve  days. 

Leyland  Line,  Liverpool  and  Kingston,  via  (out)  St. 
Thomas  and  Colon,  time  about  twenty  days ;  thence  to 
Vera  Cruz  and  New  Orleans,  time  twenty  days.  Fare,  one 
way,  £20. 

Europe  and  Jamaica.  The  Hamburg-American  Line,  cargo 
boat,  monthly,  from  and  to  Hamburg  and  Havre. 

Canadian  Lines.  The  Halifax  and  West  India  Co.,  from 
and  to  Halifax,  via  Turks  Island  and  Bermudas;  monthly. 
Fare :  one  way  $50 ;  return  $80. 

Canada  and  Jamaica  Steamship  Co.,  twice  a  month,  between 
Halifax  and  Kingston,  irregularly  touching  at  Santiago  de 
Cuba  and  Guantanamo. 

Kingston,  the  Capital.  The  city  of  Kingston,  seat  of 
government  and  commercial  port  of  Jamaica,  was  practically 
destroyed  by  the  dreadful  earthquake  and  fire  of  January, 
1907.  Though  it  possessed  few  structures  of  architectural 
merit,  yet  it  was  an  important,  and  in  many  respects  attrac- 
tive, city ;  depending,  however,  upon  its  situation  and  sur- 
roundings for  the  latter  feature.  Together  with  its  suburbs, 
it  covered  an  area  of  about  a  thousand  acres  on  the  Ligitanea 
Plain,  and  occupied  the  northern  shore  of  a  magnificent 
harbour.    It  was  the  largest  city  in  the  British  West  Indies, 


154  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST   INDIES 

having  a  population  of  about  50,000,  and  second  only  to  Ha- 
vana, Cuba,  in  M^ealth  and  importance.  Its  streets  ran  east 
and  Vilest,  parallel  with  the  shore,  and  north  and  south  at 
right  angles  to  it.  King  Street,  one  of  the  latter,  was  the 
exact  centre  of  the  town,  and  was  crossed  by  Queen  Street, 
each  being  66  feet  in  width.  At  their  intersection  was  a  park 
or  garden  of  10  acres,  which  was  formerly  a  plaza  or  parade- 
ground,  at  the  time  of  the  disaster  possessing  a  fountain 
and  filled  with  beautiful  trees  and  shrubbery.  At  the  foot 
of  King  Street  was  the  great  Market,  named  in  honour  of 
Queen  Victoria,  and  northwest  of  the  Parade  Ground  stood 
the  Jubilee  Market,  which  was  dedicated  in  1887,  in  com- 
memoration of  the  fiftieth  year  of  her  accession.  Both  were 
amply  supplied  with  all  the  products  of  the  tropics,  and  were 
extremely  interesting  to  tourists  as  gathering-places  of  pic- 
turesque natives  from  the  interior.  The  streets  were  almost 
Oriental  in  their  aspect  and  colouring,  being  filled  with  a 
varied  and  multicoloured  populace,  comprising  coolies  from 
the  East  Indies,  Chinese,  Cubans,  Spaniards,  and  travellers 
from  every  quarter  of  the  globe.  For  a  place  of  its  size,- 
Kingston  was  extremely  cosmopolitan,  and  as  it  was  well 
supplied  with  hotels,  lighted  by  electricity  and  gas,  and 
traversed  by  electric  trams,  it  was  fast  becoming  a  favourite 
resort  (as  it  was  already  the  commercial  emporium  of 
Jamaica),  when  its  prosperous  career  was  so  swiftly  arrested 
by  the  earthquake  shock  and  by  fire. 

As  in  the  old  days  its  sister  city  of  Port  Royal  compelled 
tribute  from  all  Caribbean  commerce  (by  means  of  its  cor- 
sairs), so  in  times  recent  Kingston  took  toll  from  modern 
vessels  on  their  way  to  or  from  the  Isthmus  and  the  Spanish 
Main,  in  addition  supplying  them  with  freights  from  the 
products  of  the  island.  As  a  "half-way  port"  between  New 
York  and  Colon,  it  was,  and  always  will  be,  of  vast  im- 
portance to  the  United  States.  Harbour  Street,  skirting 
the  shore,  was  lined  with  large  wholesale  houses  and  steam- 
ship offices,  which  did  business  with  all  Europe  and  America. 
Owing  to  their  connections  with  other  countries,  fast  freights 
and  low  duties,  they  could  supply  provisions,  liquors,  and 
manufactured  goods  at  prices  which  defied  competition,  so 
that  Kingston  was  unsurpassed  as  an  outfitting  station  for 


o 


u 


JAMAICA  155 

naval  and  merchant  ships  of  every  class.  These  advantages 
inured  to  the  benefit  of  the  island,  also,  and  "living"  in 
general  was,  and  is,  cheaper  here  than  in  many  other  places, 
depending,  however,  upon  the  manner  of  living. 

The  government  headquarters  were  on  Duke  Street,  at 
the  Colonial  Secretary's  office,  but  the  governmental  resi- 
dence is  at  the  "King's  House,"  set  in  attractive  grounds  a 
few  miles  from  town.  The  city  boasted  two  banks,  the 
Colonial  on  Harbour  Street,  and  the  Nova  Scotia  on  Port 
Royal  Street ;  a  well-equipped  post-office  in  its  own  building, 
corner  of  Duke  and  Harbour  streets ;  a  telegraph  office,  with 
cable  connections  all  over  the  world ;  a  Jamaica  Club,  on 
Hanover  Street,  to  which  strangers  with  credentials  were 
sure  of  a  welcome;  a  Royal  Yacht  Club,  in  the  east  end.  at 
Rae's  Town ;  numerous  churches  of  every  denomination,  a 
theatre,   schools,  and  colleges. 

The  most  interesting  of  the  ecclesiastical  structures  was  the 
old  Parish  Church,  which  was  built  soon  after  the  destruc- 
tion of  Port  Royal.  It  was  rudely  shaken  by  the  earthquake, 
its  tower  rent,  and  its  walls  impaired.  Within  it  hung  the 
tattered  banners  once  borne  by  victorious  warships  in  the 
olden  days,  and  near  the  altar  is  a  black  marble  slab  with 
the  following  inscription : 

"Here  lyeth  interred  the  body  of  John  Benbow.  Esq..  Ad- 
miral of  the  White,  a  true  pattern  of  Engiish  courage,  who 
lost  his  life  in  defence  of  his  Queen  and  Country.  November 
ye  4th,  1702,  in  ye  52d  year  of  his  age,  by  a  wound  in  his 
legge,  received  in  an  engagement  with  Mons.  Du  Casse. 
Much  lamented." 

Taken  together  with  its  suburbs  and  the  more  ancient  Span- 
ish Town,  Kingston  can  offer  many  a  memorial  to  brave 
British  sea-dogs,  such  as  Rodney  and  Nelson,  and  was  also 
the  residence  of  some  other  worthies,  as,  for  instance,  the 
author  of  Tom  Cringle's  Log,  Michael  Scott,  who  lived  at 
a  "pen"  not  far  from  town.  One  of  the  old  houses  on  North 
Street  cherished  a  tradition  that  from  its  windows  a  since- 
reigning  king,  then  a  prince,  cast  some  of  its  furniture  into 
the  highway,  after  a  hilarious  "night  of  it"  with  boon  com- 
panions.    At  the  time  of  his  visit  to  Kingston,   it  is  also 


156  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST  INDIES 

related,  one  of  the  belles  was  so  embarrassed  when  he  asked 
her  to  dance  with  him  that  she  stammered:  "Thank  you,  Mr. 
Wales"  !  But  these  houses  are  gone,  and  only  the  tradi- 
tions remain;  though  Kingston  may  —  certainly  will  —  rise 
"phenix-like"  from  her  ashes. 

The  Institute  of  Jamaica.  On  East  Street,  not  far  from 
the  Myrtle  Bank  Hotel,  stood  a  structure  which, 
though  of  modern  erection,  embodied  in  its  contents 
Jamaica's  past  history,  so  far  as  man  could  ascertain. 
It  held  the  museum  and  library  of  the  Institute  of 
Jamaica,  the  latter  containing  nearly  a  thousand  vol- 
umes "dealing  exclusively  with  Jamaica,"  and  probably 
the  finest  collection  of  Jamaicana  in  the  world;  the  former 
"aiming  at  representing  the  fauna,  flora,  geology  and  anthro- 
pology of  the  island  as  completely  as  possible." 

The  library  numbered  in  all  about  ii,ooo  volumes,  while 
the  collection  of  nature-objects  was  probably  the  best  in  the 
West  Indies.  Relief-maps  showed  the  configuration  of  the 
island  at  a  glance,  and  the  collection  of  celts,  pottery  and 
other  objects  of  native  workmanship  illustrated  the  handi- 
crafts of  the  Arawaks,  or  primitive  dwellers  in  Jamaica,  be- 
fore the  advent  of  the  Spaniards. 

An  art  gallery  contained  portraits  of  old  governors  and 
other  worthies  once  resident  here,  and  besides  there  were 
some  "curios"  of  historical  importance,  such  as  the  old  hell 
from  Port  Royal,  maces  used  by  the  legislative  assembly  in 
the  eighteenth  century,  and  a  bundle  of  papers  taken  from 
the  maw  of  a  shark.  The  old  bell  once  hung  in  the  church 
at  Port  Royal,  destroyed  by  the  earthquake  of  1692,  and  built 
in  part  with  contributions  from  pirates  like  the  great  buc- 
caneer. Sir  Henry  Morgan.  The  "shark  papers,"  as  they 
were  called,  once  pertained  to  an  American  privateer,  the 
captain  of  which,  when  hard-pressed  by  a  British  cruiser, 
threw  them  overboard,  as  incriminating  evidence,  should  he 
be  captured.  He  was  captured,  in  fact,  taken  into  Port 
Royal,  and  placed  on  trial  for  his  life.  He  was  about  to  be 
discharged  from  lack  of  evidence,  when  into  port  sailed 
another  British  cruiser,  the  crew  of  which  had  caught  a 
shark  off  the  coast  of  Haiti,  from  whose  maw  they  had 
taken   those   veritable  papers.     They  were  taken   to   court, 


JAMAICA  157 

and  crew  and  captain  were  condemned,  solely  upon  the  evi- 
dence they  afforded. 

While  the  Jamaica  Institute  collections  and  library  were 
damaged,  the  most  important  still  remain ;  and  there  is  con- 
solation in  the  fact  that  its  learned  secretary.  Air.  Frank 
Cundall,  F.S.A.,  has  written  several  monographs  on  them. 
In  his  Jamaica  in  1905,  Biographical  Annals,  and  Sculpture 
in  Jamaica,  all  books  of  great  merit,  he  has  preserved  much 
of  historical  value  that  would  otherwise  have  been  lost  to 
the  world. 

Mention  should  be  made  of  one  other  "specimen"  con- 
tained in  the  museum,  if  only  for  the  sidelight  it  throws 
upon  "man's  inhumanity  to  man,"  in  the  days  to  which  it 
belonged.  This  is  an  iron  cage,  or  gibbet,  in  which  crimi- 
nals were  suspended  when  condemned  to  death.  It  was  made 
to  fit  around  the  body,  with  stirrups  for  the  feet  in  which 
were  spikes,  so  that  the  occupant  could  not  stand  upon  them 
without  suffering  excruciating  pain.  It  was  suspended  aloft, 
where  all  might  see,  and  sometimes  criminals  confined  therein 
were  nine  or  ten  days  in  dying,  as  verified  by  the  island's 
historian,  Bryan  Edwards,  who  once  witnessed  an  execution 
of  this   sort. 

Environs  of  Kingston.  While  somewhat  unattractive 
in  itself,  Kingston  possesses  a  beautiful  birthright  in  its 
environment  of  hills  and  mountains,  in  its  groves  of  cocoas, 
giant  ceiba  trees,  and  luxuriant  gardens. 

The  electric  tramway  leads  to  several  interesting  points, 
such  as  the  Race  Course  and  Up-Park  Camp,  starting  at 
Harbour  Street.  One  of  the  quaint  places  it  passes  through 
is  the  village  of  Half-lVay  Tree,  about  3  miles  from  the 
city,  famous  for  its  fine  parish  church,  in  the  churchyard 
of  which  lie  the  remains  of  a  brother  of  \V.  H.  Harrison, 
a  former  President  of  the  United  States.  The  road  is  usually 
dusty,  but  is  lined  with  the  residences  of  Kingston's  better 
classes,  who  entertain  royally  after  the  day's  business  is  over, 
and  take  great  pleasure  in  welcoming  visiting  friends  to 
their  "pens."  or  little  country  places.  Half-Way  Tree  is 
about  half-way  from  Kingston  to  the  Constant  Spring  Hotel, 
situated  at  the  foot  of  the  Blue  Mountain  range  and  600 
feet   above   the   sea.     It   is    a   magnificent   structure,    three 


158  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST  INDIES 

stories  in  height  and  with  400  feet  of  frontage.  It  has  ac- 
commodations for  300  guests,  and  the  management,  con- 
trolled by  Elder,  Dempster  &  Co.,   is  unsurpassed. 

King's  House.  One  of  the  finest  residences  in  Jamaica  is 
(as  it  should  be,  of  course)  the  official  dwelling-place  of  the 
Governor-General,  known  as  King's  House.  It  is  situated 
about  5  miles  from  Kingston,  and  2  beyond  Half- Way  Tree ; 
but  cannot  be  reached  directly  by  trolley,  so  a  carriage  must 
be  hired  for  the  trip.  The  first  duty  of  every  visitor  to 
Jamaica  should  be  the  paying  of  his  respects  to  the  Governor- 
General  of  the  island,  whose  office  is  in  the  city,  but  who 
receives  and  entertains  at  King's  House.  The  residence  is 
beautifully  set  amid  gardens  of  tropical  trees  and  shrubs,  is 
large,  roomy  and  comfortable,  with  a  ball-room  that  cost 
$25,000  added  to  the  original  structure  a  few  years  ago.  Its 
long  and  wide  verandas  are  enclosed  within  jalousies, 
through  which  the  wind,  but  not  the  sun,  can  find  its  way, 
thus  bestowing  coolness  throughout  the  house.  It  was  badly 
damaged  by  the  earthquake,  which  left,  as  the  only  habitable 
portion,  the  private  secretary's  bungalow. 

Hope  and  Castleton  Gardens.  Two  important  botanical 
stations  are  accessible  from  Kingston  at  small  expense,  the 
nearer  of  which,  Hope  Gardens,  is  only  5  miles  distant. 
It  is  reached  by  tram-car,  fare  fourpence  (8  cents),  by  car- 
riage conveying  three  passengers  (16  shillings,  or  $4,  with 
driver,  out  and  back).  Hope  Gardens,  elevation  700  feet, 
were  first  started  as  a  small  nursery,  and  gradually  extended 
until  to-day  they  comprise  220  acres  of  lawns,  ornamental 
and  experimental  plants,  in  one  of  the  finest  situations  imagi- 
nable. The  superintendent  of  gardens  and  experimentation, 
as  also  the  director  of  the  botanical  department,  reside  here, 
besides  a  staff  of  assistants  and  collectors,  who  have  ex- 
tended their  botanising  explorations  nearly  all  over  the  isl- 
and. Even  yet,  they  say,  there  is  much  territory  not  thor- 
oughly covered,  and  Jamaica,  possessing  2,300  known  species 
of  indigeneous  and  Jiaturalised  plants,  is  still  a  promising 
field  for  the  botanist.  Every  native  plant  known  to  Jamaica, 
and  most  exotics  that  can  be  acclimatised  here,  are  found 
growing  luxuriantly,  arranged  in  clumps  and  borders,  with 
an  eye  to  effect  as  well  as  utility.    There  are  two  entrances 


JAMAICA  159 

from  the  electric  line,  with  short  walk  or  drive,  to  the  heart 
of  the  garden,  which,  to  be  "done"  satisfactorily,  demands 
lime,  and  a  carriage  should  be  , taken  to  avoid  heat  and 
fatigue.  No  better  opportunity  can  be  afforded  for  obtain- 
ing an  intimate  acquaintance  with  tropical  horticulture  and 
botany  in  general. 

If  one  wishes  to  see  an  "old-time"  plantation,  such  as 
Jamaica  boasted  in  its  palmy  days  of  high  prices  for  prod- 
ucts raised  by  slave  labour,  a  visit  should  be  paid  the  Mona 
Sugar  Estate,  about  half  an  hour's  drive  from  Hope.  It 
is  irrigated  with  water  from  the  Hope  River,  which  also 
supplies  power  to  the  machinery  used  for  grinding  cane,  etc. 

Castleton  Gardens,  which  were  established  by  govern- 
ment nearly  fifty  years  ago.  are  distant  from  Kingston 
19  miles,  necessitating  an  all-day  excursion  for  the  drive 
thither,  tarry,  and  return.  The  start  should  be  made  at  or 
near  sunrise,  to  avoid  the  heat  and  dust  of  the  first  few  miles, 
after  which  the  roads  are  shaded  with  forest  trees,  and  the 
increasing  altitude  makes  the  air  cool  and  refreshing.  The 
highway  has  a  superb  roadbed;  buttressed  bridges  span  pic- 
turesque streams,  like  the  foaming  Wag  Water  River,  which 
supplies  water  for  extensive  works,  and  at  Castleton  flows 
through  a  deep  valley  enclosed  by  mountains  clothed  in  rich- 
est vegetation.  From  the  summit  of  Stony  Hill,  on  the  road 
thither,  glorious  views  are  outspread,  and  if  one  were  able 
to  take  but  this  ride  alone,  it  would  fully  warrant  a  voyage 
to  Jamaica  for  the  purpose. 

The  average  elevation  of  Castleton  is  about  500  feet  above 
sea-level,  the  mean  temperature  75°,  and  the  annual  rainfall 
100  inches.  The  English  Government  provided  the  garden, 
wisely  locating  it  in  the  choicest  spot  for  the  purpose  to  be 
found  in  the  island,  and  to  catalogue  the  fruits,  flowers, 
shrubs,  and  trees,  the  ferns  (nearly  500  species  in  the  island), 
bamboos,  palms,  and  economic  plants  found  here,  would  be 
merely  to  enumerate  all  that  the  tropics  afford  in  floral  and 
arboreal  wealth. 

The  gardens  are  easily  reached  from  Kingston,  as  stated, 
the  cost  of  a  double  buggy,  with  driver,  being  about  30  shil- 
lings, or,  in  round  numbers.  $7.50,  for  three  persons.  Ar- 
bours, benches,  resting-places  beneath  bamboos  and  palms; 


i6o  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST   INDIES 

bowers  of  vines,  and  even  bathing-pools  with  cool  depths  most 
temptingly  alluring  within  the  tropical  shrubbery,  abound  on 
every  hand.  Nature  did  her  utmost  to  provide  an  entic- 
ing spot,  and  that  man  has  proved  appreciative,  the  many 
artificial  adornments  show.  Before  the  building  of  the  rail- 
road from  Kingston  to  San  Antonio,  an  attractive  location 
was  secured  from  the  government  by  the  United  Fruit  Com- 
pany, which  erected  here  several  cottages,  an  inn,  and  din- 
ing-hall,  so  that  visitors  could  be  entertained  at  reasonable 
rates  and  fully  enjoy  the  many  attractions  of  this  beautiful 
spot.     The  hotel  here  fully  sustains  its  formal  reputation, 

Gordon  Town  and  Newcastle.  A  delightful  short  drive 
from  Kingston  is  that  to  Gordon  Tozcn,  g  miles  distant,  and 
960  feet  above  the  sea.  The  electric  cars  run  as  far  as 
Papine  Corners  (one  fare),  whence  a  double  buggy  for  three 
persons,  with  driver,  costs  8  shillings,  or  $2.  One  might 
walk  it  from  the  car-line  terminal,  especially  if  an  early 
start  be  made,  and  all  the  way  the  trip  would  be  enjoyable. 
Dust  and  heat  are  left  behind  with  departure  from  the  city, 
and  the  road  lies  along  the  banks  of  noisy  and  picturesque 
Hope  River,  from  which  Kingston  obtains  a  portion  of  its 
pure  water  supply.  The  tropical  trees  keep  pace  with  the 
traveller  as  he  climbs  upward,  filling  every  ravine,  lining 
the  roadside,  and  adorning  every  ridge.  Agaves  and  other 
flowering  plants  give  colour  to  the  picture,  and  mile-long 
vines  festoon  the  gray  cliffs  with  star-like  flowers.  Gordon 
Town  is  a  hamlet  of  country  cottages,  where  Kingston 
people  rest  at  night,  and  whence  they  descend  in  the  morn- 
ing, refreshed,  to  their  daily  labours  in  the  sweltering  city. 
Originally  the  centre  of  coffee  and  cacao  cultivation,  or 
rather  trade,  the  plantations  that  surround,  and  the  hun- 
dred hills  beyond  it,  find  their  outlet  here.  A  little  inn  and 
several   restaurants  afford  refreshment   for   the  visitor. 

Two  roads  conduct  to  Neiveastle,  the  old  military  canton- 
ments of  which  are  situated  at  an  altitude  of  3.900  feet  above 
the  sea.  From  Papine  to  Newcastle,  by  driving  road,  a 
double  buggy  holding  three  persons  besides  driver  costs 
30  shillings.  A  pony  may  be  hired  at  Gordon  Town  for  the 
trip  to  Newcastle  and  return  for  10  shillings.  Either  way, 
the  route  is  picturesque,  and  from  the  trail,  as  it  constantly 


JAMAICA  i6i 

ascends,  most  glorious  views  are  outspread.  The  trip,  in 
fact,  is  from  tropic  to  temperate  region,  for  the  vegetation 
gradually  changes  as  the  high  altitudes  are  reached.  "Deli- 
cious" is  the  word  that  best  describes  the  scenery  along 
the  trail,  winding  as  it  does  by  the  banks  of  tinkling  streams 
with  water  so  cool  and  clear  that  it  seems  as  if  the  speckled 
trout  must  haunt' there. 

The  first  barracks  are  found  at  an  elevation  of  3,900  feet, 
but  the  officers'  quarters — cottages  hung  with  vines,  and  with 
gardens  of  English  flowers  and  vegetables — are  still  higher 
up.  The  view,  from  barracks  or  quarters,  is  glorious  be- 
yond the  power  of  words  to  describe,  for  it  comprises 
Kingston,  its  plain  and  harbour,  Port  Royal,  the  curving 
Palisadoes,  and  more  than  a  hundred  miles  of  coast-line 
with  its  bordering  ocean.  Here  for  many  years  it  has  been 
the  custom  to  quarter  the  troops,  and  though  the  isolation 
is  said  to  have  had  a  sad  effect  upon  them,  their  general 
health  was  perfect.  Since  the  English  troops  have  been 
withdrawn  from  the  island,  the  place  is  left  almost  deso- 
late, but  will  ahvays  be  a  resort  of  tourists,  who  will  view 
with  wonder  the  works  of  the  Almighty,  and  ponder  upon 
the  engineering  feats  which  overcame  difficulties  that  at  first 
glance  seem  insuperable.  One  may  ascend  higher  yet,  to 
St.  Catherine s  Peak,  5,000  feet  above  the  sea,  as  the  path 
leading  thither  is  not  difficult,  and  the  view,  which  has  been 
pronounced  one  of  the  finest  in  the  island,  will  well  repay 
the  exertion. 

In  making  this  Newcastle  trip,  Kingston  or  Gordon  Town 
should  be  left  at  or  near  sunrise,  and  a  well-stocked  hamper 
should  be  provided  for  an  all-day  expedition.  Provision 
should  also  be  made  against  a  whetting,  as  clouds  are  con- 
stantly forming  among  the  peaks,  and  passing  showers  drop 
from  them  without  warning. 

Cinchona — Coffee  Plantations.  The  ''most  delicious  cof- 
fee in  the  world"  is  grown  among  the  hills  beyond  Gor- 
don Town — the  famed  "High  Mountain  berry" — and  the 
estates  which  produce  it  may  be  visited  by  permission,  two  of 
the  most  notable  being  the  Newton  and  the  Chestervale.  By 
writing  or  telephoning  ahead  to  the  managers,  a  party  may  be 
met   at   Gordon   Town   with   ponies   for    the   trip.      Newton 


i62  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST   INDIES 

estate  house  is  at  4,400  feet  above  the  sea,  and  aside  from 
the  beauty  of  the  scenery  en  route,  with  a  peerless  view  at 
the  end  of  the  journey,  there  will  be  an  interesting  experience 
in  store  for  one  on  the  plantation,  and  at  the  "works," 
where  the  berry  is  prepared  for  shipment.  A  luncheon  should 
be  taken  along. 

The  Government  Cinchona  Plantation,  on  the  slopes  of  the 
Blue  Mountains,  is  about  20  miles  from  Kingston,  and  12 
from  Gordon  Town,  where  ponies  may  be  obtained  for  the 
trip,  which  should  consume  not  less  than  two  days.  Per- 
mission should  be  sought  from  the  Director  of  Public  Gar- 
dens. If  but  one  day  is  allowed  for  the  journey  (for  which 
hire  of  pony  is  10  shillings)  an  early  start  should  be  made, 
as  the  paths  are  steep,  and  at  least  three  hours  will  be  con- 
sumed each  way.  Cinchona,  as  its  name  implies,  was  an  ex- 
periment in  the  cultivation  of  the  tree  of  that  name  for  its 
bark.  At  first  it  was  profitable,  the  government  realising 
enough  from  sales  to  more  than  repay  the  original  outlay ; 
but  as  the  price  of  bark  fell  the  cultivation  was  discontinued, 
and  the  plantation  has  fallen  into  decay.  There  is  a  fine 
garden  here  and  a  very  comfortable  house  at  the  service  of 
the  superintendent.  The  climate  is  salubrious,  delicious,  the 
temperature  rarely  rising  to  76°,  and  in  the  winter  dropping 
to  45°,  while  fires  and  blankets  at  night  are  sometimes  a 
necessity. 

While  Hope  and  Castleton  are  experimental  plantations  for 
the  introduction  and  propagation  of  purely  tropical  products, 
Cinchona  may  be  said  to  be  devoted  to  those  from  temperate 
regions,  or  at  least  from  high  altitudes  where  the  climate 
is  temperate,  for  not  only  cinchona,  but  many  vegetables 
which  cannot  be  grown  in  the  hot  region,  flourish  exceed- 
ingly. The  writer  has  picked  strawberries  here  in  midwinter 
(which  can  only  be  grown  in  a  cool  country)  and  seen  such 
vegetables  as  potatoes,  cabbages,  turnips,  carrots,  beets  and 
peas,  in  the  mountain  gardens,  while  the  grass  is  always  a 
vivid  green,  the  turf  soft  and  elastic  to  the  tread.  Entrancing 
views  are  afforded  from  various  points  on  the  plantation, 
while  the  ravines,  through  which  flow  sparkling  streams  of 
clear  cool  water,  are  filled  with  tree-ferns  of  luxuriant 
growth. 


JAMAICA  163 

Blue  Mountain  Peak.  Cinchona  lies  about  midway  be- 
tween St.  Catherine's  and  Blue  Mountain  Peak,  which  lat- 
ter, 7,423  feet  in  altitude,  is  the  highest  point  in  the 
island,  and  the  highest  easily-accessible  mountain  in  the 
West  Indies — that  is,  accessible  without  extraordinary 
labour,  and  "negotiable"  by  the  average  tourist,  even  by 
ladies. 

If  you  can  take  but  one  extensive  trip  in  this  island,  by 
all  means  let  it  be  that  to  Blue  Mountain  Peak,  which  is 
well  worth,  says  one  enthusiastic  traveller,  not  only  the 
effort  of  the  ascent,  but  the  voyage  to  Jamaica,  as  well. 
Every  variety  of  adjective  used  in  description  would  be 
necessary  to  portray  the  beauties  of  this  glorious  trip ;  but, 
to  get  down  to  prosaic  details :  Take  trolley  from  Kings- 
ton to  Papine  Corners,  6  miles,  carriage  thence  to  Gordon 
Town,  3  miles,  where  ponies  can  be  obtained  (20  shillings 
for  the  entire  trip)  for  Whitfield  Hall,  12  miles,  where  a 
stay  overnight  should  be  made,  and  thence  next  morning  to 
the  Peak,  a  distance  of  5  miles,  "almost  perpendicular!"  This 
total  of  52  miles  will  include  an  epitome  of  Jamaica's  best 
views  (for  more  than  half  the  island  can  be  seen  from  the 
Peak)   and  its  finest  coffee  estates. 

The  bridle-path  zigzags  over  ridges  and  into  deep  valleys, 
passing  through  the  heart  of  the  coffee  region,  and,  as  the 
upper  elevations  are  gained,  through  vast  beds  of  wild 
flowers  such  as  are  seen  in  Northern  countries  only,  in  hot- 
houses cherished  as  choice  exotics.  Guava  Ridge,  the  first  be- 
yond Gordon  Tozvn,  is  2.860  feet  high;  Farm  Hill,  3,890; 
and  WhitHeld  Hall,  where  the  night  may  be  passed,  4,040. 
Portland  Gap,  beyond,  is  5,549  feet  above  the  sea,  and 
the  hut  on  the  Peak  7,443.  While  some  hardy  travellers 
choose  to  pass  the  night  on  the  Peak  (and  if  this  be  done, 
blankets  and  cooking  utensils  should  form  part  of  the  equip- 
ment, as  well  as  a  mule  for  transport),  it  will  be  wiser  to 
rest  at  Whitfield  Hall,  a  quaint  old  manor-house  built,  it  is 
said,  more  than  200  years  ago.  Oddly  enough,  this  ideal  resi- 
dence so  near  the  clouds  has  been  (and  we  hope  still  is)  oc- 
cupied by  Captain  Heaven,  whose  ancestor  built  the  original 
structure.  So  paradisiacal  is  the  situation,  with  its  cool 
climate,   tropical  environment,   and  entrancing  scenery,  that 


i64  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST   INDIES 

"Heaven  Hall"  would  not  be  an  inappropriate  name  for 
this  old  manor-house. 

The  sun  catches  the  mountain-peaks  early  at  that  altitude, 
and  a  start  should  be  made  at  daybreak,  even  if  the  morning 
be  cold  and  rainy.  The  ascent  is  steep,  but  the  trail  is  safe, 
so  that  one  may  leave  the  pony  to  pick  his  way,  and  freely 
admire  the  great  tree-ferns,  the  shell-tinted  begonias,  the 
vine-hung  forest  trees  that  line  the  path,  until  the  Peak  is 
nearly  reached.  Arrived  there,  you  will  admit  that  mere 
words  cannot  do  justice  to  the  glorious  view  outspread  on 
every  side,  for  half  the  island  is  visible,  ringed  about  by  the 
blue  sea,  with  vast  forests  intervening.  Sometimes  the  mist 
rolls  in  and  hides  the  lower  elevations,  so  that  the  observer 
standing  on  the  Peak  is,  in  a  double  sense,  upon  a  sea-sur- 
rounded island,  environed  not  only  by  the  Caribbean,  but 
by  the  clouds. 

As  already  stated,  there  is  a  hut  on  the  Peak,  which  was 
built  by  the  Jamaica  Government ;  but  it  is  scantily  furnished, 
and  some  inconvenience  may  be  felt  by  those  whose  enthu- 
siasm leads  them  to  tarry  there  for  the  purpose  of  witness- 
ing the  sunrise.  Still,  the  sunrise  is  a  glorious  spectacle,  and 
certainly  worth  a  single  night's  discomfort  for  the  purpose 
of  observing  what  may  never  occur  to  one  again  in  a  life- 
time.* 

Port  Royal.  The  harbour  of  Kingston,  lo  miles  long  and 
2  broad,  is  protected  from  the  waves  of  the  open  sea  by  the 
Palisadoes,  a  stretch  of  sand  crowned  by  cocoa-palms 
8  miles  in  length.  It  is  a  royal  place  for  yachtsmen  and  for 
boating  generally,  while  the  sea-front  of  the  Palisadoes  offers 
facilities  for  surf-bathing  that  are  unsurpassed;  though 
strangers  should  not  venture  far  beyond  the  rollers.  Within 
the  harbour  good  fishing  may  be  had,  and  small  boats,  with 
native  fishermen,  are  numerous  and  obliging.  Sharks  are 
sometimes  found  outside  the  harbour,  and  alligator  shooting 
within,  not  far  from  the  city,  at  Hunt's  Bay. 

A  small  steamer  plies  between  Kingston  and  Port  Royal, 

*Information  as  to  this  trip,  as  also  of  any  other  to  be  made  in  the 
island,  mav  he  obtained  of  the  Jamaica  Tourist  Information  Bureau, 
128  Harbour  Street,  Kingston.  This  is  given  gratuitously,  and  visitors 
may  have  their  correspondence  addressed  to  the  Bureau  without 
charge. 


JAMAICA  165 

and  numerous  sailing-craft,  so  it  is  very  convenient  of  ac- 
cess and  the  trip  is  quickly  made.  Since  its  abandonment 
as  a  dockyard,  with  .an  admiral  in  headquarters  here,  Port 
Royal  has  languished,  and  the  'quake  of  1907  put  the  "fin- 
ishing touches"  to  a  place  that  lost  nearly  3,000  houses  in 
the  catastrophe  of  1692,  which  was  possibly  more  disastrous 
than  the  last  one.  Then  "the  whole  island  felt  the  shock,"  says 
the  historian.  "Chains  of  hills  were  riven  asunder;  new  chan- 
nels formed  for  rivers;  mountains  dissolved  with  a  mighty 
crash,  burying  alive  the  people  of  adjacent  valleys;  whole 
settlements  sank  into  the  bowels  of  the  earth  ;  plantations  were 
removed  en  masse,  and  all  the  sugar-works  destroyed.  In  fact, 
the  entire  outline  of  Jamaica  was  drawn  afresh,  and  the  eleva- 
tion of  the  surface  was  considerably  diminished.  The  sen- 
tence of  desolation  was  thus,  however,  but  partially  fulfilled, 
for  a  noxious  miasma,  generated  by  the  shoals  and  putrefying 
bodies  that  floated  about  the  harbour  of  Port  Royal,  or  lay 
in  heaps  in  the  suburbs,  slew  thousands  of  the  survivors." 

Associated  as  it  is  with  the  early  history  of  Jamaica,  and, 
in  the  heyday  of  its  existence,  the  only  place  of  importance 
in  the  island,  Port  Royal  is  fascinatingly  interesting.  Hither 
came  the  Spanish  conquistadores,  followed  by  the  Eng- 
lish conquerors,  who  took  the  island  from  them.  In  the 
latter  part  of  the  seventeenth  century  Port  Royal  was  the 
rendezvous  of  pirates  and  buccaneers,  who  brought  here 
such  vast  treasure  that  it  was  noted  as  one  of  the  richest 
cities  of  the  w^orld.  In  the  height  of  its  ill-gotten  prosperity 
it  was  destroyed  by  the  'quake  of  1692,  and,  as  a  city,  disap- 
peared from  the  map.  Some  of  its  buildings  may  yet  be 
seen  beneath  the  water,  when  the  surface  is  smooth ;  but 
Port  Royal  itself  never  recovered  from  the  blow.  Hardly 
enough  now  remains,  in  fact,  for  a  description  that  would 
be  recognisable  by  one  who  knew  it  at  the  end  of  the  last 
century,  for  the  shock  of  1907  inflicted  its  coup  de  grace, 
as  it  were.  Fort  Victoria,  one  of  the  most  powerful  bat- 
teries in  America,  and  which  was  equipped  with  heavy  mod- 
ern guns  but  a  few  years  before  the  last  disaster,  sank  nearly 
10  feet  into  the  water;  a  slice  of  land  which  formed  part  of 
the  park  to  the  south  of  the  garrison  disappeared  entirely, 
and  above  the  officers'  tennis  court  the  tops  of  cocoanut  trees 


i66  A  GUIDE   TO  THE  WEST    INDIES 

alone  remained  above  the  water,  the  sea  having  invaded  the 
place,  as  it  had  a  little  more  than  two  centuries  before.  All  the 
European  troops  quartered  at  Port  Royal  were  withdrawn, 
and  ''Finis"  was  practically  written  upon  the  gateway  to 
the  old  fort. 

The  most  important  structure  in  Port  Royal — if  a  recur- 
rence of  seismic  activity  has  not  destroyed  it  since  these 
lines  were  written — is  the  old  church,  to  which,  says  a  local 
writer,  a  melancholy  interest  attaches,  especially  "to  the 
monumental  marbles  and  imperishable  brasses  which  bear  the 
record  of  distinguished  services  ly  sea  and  land,  and  pre- 
serve the  memory  of  officers  who  had  formerly  served  with 
distinction  on  this  station.  The  town  proper  is  a  mere  ag- 
gregation of  small  houses,  not  always  in  the  best  repair, 
inhabited  by  the  employees  of  the  dockyard,  and  fishermen, 
who  earn  a  precarious  livelihood  by  supplying  the  wants 
of  the  garrison  with  their  harvests  from  the  deep." 

There  is  material  here  for  another  race  of  buccaneers,  who, 
with  much  greater  show  of  reason  than  their  predecessors, 
might  take  to  the  sea  against  legitimate  commerce;  but  alas! 
times  have  so  changed  that  there  is  now  no  chance  for  an- 
other Sir  Henry  Morgan  or  Lollonnois  to  rise  to  eminence 
in  this  profession  ! 

Opposite  Port  Royal,  on  the  landward  side  of  the  harbour. 
we  find  the  obsolete  Apostles'  Battery,  so  called  because 
of  the  twelve  huge  cannon  that  formed  its  armament.  At- 
tempts have  been  made  to  strengthen  it,  as  well  as  the  other 
forts  commanding  the  harbour ;  but  the  millions  here  ex- 
pended have  been  worse  than  thrown  away,  since  the  works 
are  in  danger  of  being  overthrown  in  a  moment  of  time  by 
forces  which  man  cannot  withstand.  Not  far  from  Kings- 
ton, on  this  shore  at  Green  Bay,  is  an  ancient  cemetery, 
where  may  be  found  the  tomb  of  a  man  who  was  buried  by 
the  'quake  of  1692.  and  yet  lived  long  afterward.  The  in- 
scription tells  the  story : 

"Here  lyes  the  Body  of  Lewis  Galdy  Esqre.,  who  departed 
this  life  at  Port  Royal,  the  226.  December,  1739,  aged  80. 
He  was  born  at  ^^lontpelier,  France,  but  left  that  country  for 
his  Religion  and  came  to  settle  in  this  Island,  where  he  was 
swallowed  up  in  the  great  Earthquake  in  the  year  1692,  and 


JAMAICA  167 

by  the  Providence  of  God  was  by  another  shock  thrown  into 
the  sea,  and  miraculously  saved  by  swimming  until  a  boat 
took  him  up.  He  lived  many  years  afterwards  in  great  Repu- 
tation, beloved  by  all  who  knew  him,  and  much  Lamented 
at  his  death." 

Gallows  Point.  It  is  said  that  the  sole  relic  of  Port  Royal 
before  the  'quake  of  1692  is  old  Fort  Charles,  a  solid  bit  of 
masonry ;  but  a  reminder  of  the  buccaneering  period  is 
afforded  in  Gallows  Point,  which  juts  out  from  the  green 
mangroves  as  the  harbour  is  approached.  Here  were  exe- 
cuted the  last  of  the  pirates  who  haunted  the  lagoons  of 
Cuba  and  Jamaica,  and  other  "gentlemen  of  the  sea"  who 
proved  obnoxious  to  law-abiding  citizens.  Readers  of  that 
fascinating  book,  Tom  Cringle  s  Log,  may  recall  the  vivid 
account  therein,  when  sixteen  Cuban  pirates  were  swung 
off  at  one  time.  This  was  in  1823,  and  they  are  said  to  have 
been  the  last  of  their  kind  who  suffered  the  dread  penalty 
at  this  place. 

Spanish  Town.  One  of  the  most  interesting  trips  the 
island  affords,  and  also  easily  accomplished,  is  that  over  the 
Government  Raikvay  from  Kingston  to  Montcgo  Bay,  at  the 
northwest  end  of  the  island.  The  distance  between  termini 
is  113  miles,  and  if  one  were  to  stop  off  at  all  the  points  of 
interest,  "doing"  them  thoroughly,  a  week  might  be  con- 
sumed in  the  journey.  There  are  more  than  thirty  stations 
on  the  road,  the  first  of  which  is  Gregory  Park,  6^^  miles 
from  Kingston,  a  shipping-point  for  bananas  and  oranges, 
which  grow  luxuriantly  in  this  section. 

Grange  Lane,  9  miles,  is  situated  on  a  plain  made  extraordi- 
narily fertile  by  the  government  irrigation  system,  the  canals 
of  which,  lined  with  the  lush  vegetation  of  the  tropics — co- 
coas, bananas,  cacao,  etc. — run  parallel   with  the  track. 

At  about  12  miles'  distance  from  Kingston  lies  Spanish 
Tozcn,  which  is  important  as  a  railway  centre  (as  the  Port 
Antonio  line  branches  off  here),  and  historically  as  a  place  of 
older  foundation  than  either  Kingston  or  Port  Royal.  It 
was  founded  about  1520,  on  the  site  it  still  occupies,  and 
called  Santiago  de  la  Vega,  or  St.  James  of  the  Plain,  Taking 
a  'bus  at  the  station  (fare  6  d.),  the  visitor  soon  finds  him- 
self at  the  central  square,  or  plaza,  around  which,  as  in  all 


i68  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST   INDIES 

Spanish  towns,  the  principal  municipal  buildings  were  origi- 
nally grouped,  and  are  to-day.  The  plaza  contains  a  tropi- 
cal garden  with  a  giant  banyan  tree  and  royal  palms,  and  on 
its  west  side  stands  the  ancient  official  residence  of  the  gov- 
ernors of  Jamaica,  King's  House,  which  was  erected  in  1763, 
and  has  been  long  disused,  though  still  kept  in  good  repair. 
On  the  north  side  stands  the  Rodney  Monument,  which  con- 
sists of  an  octagonal  cupola  supported  by  Corinthian  pilas- 
ters, and  flanked  by  a  colonnade  with  Ionic  pillars,  shelter- 
ing within  an  heroic  marble  statue  of  the  great  admiral  in 
whose  honour  it  was  erected.  It  was  executed  by  Bacon,  in 
1789,  only  a  few  years  after  Rodney's  great  and  decisive  vic- 
tory over  De  Grasse  (off  the  island  of  Dominica,  April  12, 
1782),  and  is  regarded  as  a  masterpiece  of  the  sculptor's  art. 
It  is  flanked  by  two  brass  bomb-mortars,  and  two  bronze  32- 
pounders  taken  from  De  Grasse's  flagship,  the  Ville  de  Paris, 
which  was  then  the  largest  and  finest  fighting-ship  in  the 
world. 

On  the  south  side  of  the  plaza  is  a  structure  containing  the 
town  hall,  court  house,  parochial  board  rooms,  and  savings 
bank.  On  the  east  is  the  Record  Office,  a  depository  of 
official  records,  land-titles,  etc.,  and  in  this  building  the  old 
House  of  Assembly  held  its  sessions. 

The  oldest  and  most  interesting  ecclesiastical  edifice  in 
the  island,  and  the  only  remaining  relic  of  the  Spanish  oc- 
cupation, the  cathedral,  is  but  a  few  minutes'  walk  from 
the  plaza.  It  dates  from  the  sixteenth  century,  but  was  re- 
constructed in  1714,  as  a  tablet  inscription  over  the  main 
doorway  states : 

"D.  O.  M. 

"This  Church  dedicated  to  ye  service  of  Almighty  God  was 
thrown  down  by  ye  dreadful  Hurricane  of  August  ye  28th 
Anno  Domini  ]\IDCCXII  and  was  by  ye  Divine  assistance 
through  ye  Piety  and  at  ye  expense  of  ye  Parishioners  more 
beautifully  and  substantially  rebuilt  upon  its  old  foundation 
in  ye  13th  year  of  ye  reign  of  our  most  gracious  Sovereigne 
Queen  Anne  and  in  ye  government  of  his  Excellency  the 
Lord  Archibald  Hamilton,  in  ye  year  of  our  Lord 
MDCCXIV." 

The  cathedral  is  built  in  the  form  of  a  Latin  cross,  is  172 


JAMAICA  169 

feet  in  length  and  87  in  width.  "The  exterior,  save 
the  eastern  or  Gothic  portion,  is  by  no  means  imposing, 
but  the  interior  is  spacious  and  handsome,  while  the 
orientation  and  lighting  are  perfect."  Within  the  church 
are  46  monuments  and  mural  tablets,  four  of  which 
alone  cost  15,000  guineas,  and  altogether  more  than  40,000 
pounds.  This  fact  is  mentioned  merely  to  give  an  idea  of 
the  wealth  and  aristocracy  that  "might  have  been  found  here 
in  the  centuries  past,  for  some  of  the  monuments  are  of  great 
artistic  merit,  and  beautiful  in  design.  The  church,  in  addi- 
tion to  its  many  mural  tablets,  has  been  said  to  be  literally 
''paved  with  gravestones,"  some  extremely  unique,  as,  for 
example,  the  slab  above  an  officer  who  came  to  Jamaica  with 
Penn  and  Venables,  and  who,  according  to  the  inscription, 
"died  amid  great  applause."  Another  slab  has  three  asses 
engraved  on  it,  as  the  crest  of  a  family  named  Assam.  The 
finest  monuments  are  those  to  the  memory  of  Sir  Basil  Keith, 
IMajor-General  Selwyn,  the  Countess  of  Elgin,  and  the  Earl 
and  Countess  of  Effingham,  most  of  which  are  from  the 
famed  Bacon's  chisel.  The  churchyard,  also,  contains  numer- 
ous tombstones  to  the  memory  of  great  officials,  naval  and 
military  men.  among  them  being  one -that  covers  the  remains 
of  an  American,  George  Washington  Reed,  who  died  here 
a  prisoner  of  war,  in  1813.  "Among  the  altar  plate  and 
sacred  vessels  of  the  church  are  some  very  valuable  pieces,  in 
particular  a  flagon  and  chalice  inscribed  'I685.'  which  was 
probably  a  prize  from  the  siege  of  Santo  Domingo :  a  pair 
of  patens  and  chalice  inscribed  '1702,'  and  a  pair  of  flagons 
and  chalice  dated  1777." 

Spanish  Tozun  is  provided  with  an  excellent  hotel,  which 
makes  a  specialty  of  Jamaican  cooking,  is  delightfully  lo- 
c-ated,  and  has  every  requisite  for  the  tourists'  comfort  and 
convenience.  It  is  called  the  Rio  Cobrc,  after  the  river  upon 
which  the  town  is  situated.  From  this  hotel  as  a  stopping- 
place  (and  the  tarry  will  be  long  for  one  who  can  appre- 
ciate good  living,  fine  scenery,  and  historic  associations)  sev- 
eral interesting  excursions  can  be  made  to  various  points  of 
interest,  of  which  Spanish  Town  is  the  centre.  About  5  miles 
from  town  are  the  modern  sugar- works  on  the  irrigated 
estate  of  Caymanas,  where  crystallised  sugar  is  made  by  the 


170  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST   INDIES 

up-to-date   "vacuum-pan"   process.     Within   a   few  minutes' 

walk  of  the  cathedral  and  plaza  is  the  District  Prison,  with 
88  acres  of  land  around  it  cultivated  by  convicts.  It  is  an 
excellent  institution  of  its  kind,  and  worth  inspecting,  per- 
mission being  first  obtained  of  the  Inspector-General  of 
Prisons,  at  Kingston. 

For  10  shillings  or  so,  a  buggy  can  be  hired  at  the  hotel  for 
a  trip  to  Port  Henderson,  through  several  miles  of  banana 
plantations,  in  a  section  that  has  been  made  valuable  by  irri- 
gation. At  Port  Henderson  there  is  a  seaside  sanitarium, 
with  mineral  springs  and  baths,  and  a  hill  known  as  Rodney's 
Lookout,  whence,  after  a  rather  stiff  climb,  a  fine  view  is 
afforded  of  St.  Catherine  Plains,  Port  Royal,  Kingston,  city 
and  harbour,  and  the  glorious  background  of  mountains. 

The  irrigation  system  referred  to  was  the  creation  of  gov- 
ernment under  Sir  J.  P.  Grant,  whose  service  in  India  had 
taught  him  its  potentialities.  By  means  of  a  dam  across  the 
Rio  Cobre,  and  nearly  90  miles  of  canals,  entailing  an  ex- 
pense of  about  $600,000,  some  30.000  acres  of  otherwise 
worthless  land,  lying  contiguous  to  the  port  of  Kingston, 
were  made  exceedingly  fertile  and  profitable.  One  of  the 
interesting  excursions  here  is  a  trip  down  the  main  canal 
and  return,  boats  for  the  purpose  being  furnished  by  the  de- 
partment at  small  expense. 

Spanish  Tozvn  abounds  in  features  historical  as  well  as  in 
attractive  scenery.  An  old  tamarind  tree  is  pointed  out,  near 
the  bank  of  the  river,  6  miles  from  the  sea,  beneath  which 
two  English  officers  were  shot,  by  sentence  of  court  martial, 
in  1660.  Not  far  from  the  irrigation  dam,  about  4  miles 
from  town,  is  a  ruined  structure  overgrown  with  vegetation, 
which,  tradition  says,  was  once  the  residence  of  the  last 
Spanish  governor.  An  old  avenue  is  indicated  by  the  're- 
mains of  great  trees,  and  at  the  dam  itself  is  a  fine  waterfall. 

Spanish  Town  was  seriously  injured  by  the  'quake  of  1907, 
but  not  nearly  to  the  extent  that  Kingston  suffered.  The 
ancient  King's  House,  the  old  House  of  Assembly,  office 
of  the  Registrar-General,  and  the  Government  School,  were 
"rent  from  top  to  bottom,  but  did  not  collapse."  The  south- 
ern wall  of  the  cathedral  fell  in,  and  the  altar  was  wrecked 
by  a  falling  beam.     Some  private  residences  were  practically 


JAMAICA  171 

destroy ed,  but  the  Hotel  Rio  Cobre  was  uninjured.  As  the 
seismic  shock  was  felt,  a  low  rumbling  noise  was  heard,  and 
almost  simultaneously  the  whole  town  shook  "like  the  leaves 
of  a  banana  tree  in  a  slight  wind."  The  court-house  un- 
dulated under  the  shock ;  the  town  clock  struck  once ;  the 
inhabitants  rushed  pell-mell  into  the  streets,  shrieking  and 
praying  for  help. 

Bog  Walk  and  Rio  Cobre.  There  yet  remains  the  most 
fascinating  portion  of  the  Rio  Cobre  region  to  explore — that 
of  the  "Bog  Walk,"  without  a  doubt  one  of  the  most  pic- 
turesque spots  to  be  found  anywhere  in  Jamaica.  Bog  Walk 
is  a  corruption  of  the  Spanish  Boca  del  Agua,  or  Water- 
Mouth,  and,  strictly  speaking,  applies  to  the  gorge  through 
which  the  Rio  Cobre  flows.  The  drive  from  Spanish  Town 
is  a  short  one  (though  it  may  be  extended  with  profit  above 
the  defile)  along  the  Rio  Cobre's  banks.  A  double  buggy 
may  be  hired,  for  three  persons,  at  the  Hotel  Rio  Cobre,  for 
12  shillings  the  trip.  On  the  way  to  Bog  Walk  may  be  seen 
the  hydraulic  works  of  the  West  India  Electric  Company, 
from  which  power  is  obtained  for  the  street-car  service  of 
Kingston,  12  to  20  miles  away.  Here  the  river  is  dammed, 
the  water  passing  through  an  immense  pipe  to  the  power- 
house, about  a  mile  distant,  whence  the  power  there  gener- 
ated is  conducted  over  wires  to  Kingston  by  the  "three-phase 
system."  Alluding  to  the  beauty  of  the  Rio  Cobre's  scenery, 
as  also  the  frequent  interruption  of  its  waters  by  artificial 
means,  some  one  has  called  it  the  most-praised  and  most- 
dammed  stream  in  Jamaica ! 

Everybody  who  has  visited  the  Bog  Walk  has  sung  its 
praises,  but  none  better  than  the  late  Lady  Brassey,  who 
says:  "Imagine  everything  that  makes  scenery  lovely:  wood, 
water,  and  the  wildest  luxuriance  of  tropical  foliage,  mingled 
and  arranged  by  the  hand  of  Nature  (in  one  of  her  happiest 
moods),  and  then  picture  all  this  surrounded  by  lofty  and 
abrupt  precipices,  with  a  background  of  the  most  brilliant 
hues  illuminated  by  the  brightest  of  suns.  Passing  out,  the 
sides  of  the  ravines  become  less  precipitous  and  are  clothed 
with  all  kinds  of  tropical  trees,  such  as  the  bread-fruit  and 
bamboo,   besides  vast  quantities  of  flowering  orchids." 

Six  miles  above  the  Bog  Walk  railway  station  is  a  wonder- 


172  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST   INDIES 

fill  natural  bridge,  spanning  the  Rio  del  Oro,  a  branch  of  the 
Cobre.  Here  the  river  flows  for  nearly  a  mile  through  a 
deep  canyon,  and  at  one  point  the  walls  approach,  at  a 
height  of  about  60  feet  above  the  stream,  forming  an  arch 
capped  by  a  single  Cyclopean  slab.  Luxuriant  growths  of 
trees,  vines  and  shrubs  clothe  the  arch,  keystone  and  all, 
"combining  to  form  a  picture  of  rugged  grandeur  garbed 
with  sylvan  beauty."  There  is  a  small  hotel  at  Bog  Walk, 
and  the  place  is  a  holiday  resort  for  Kingstonians.  as  well 
as  strangers,  lured  hither  by  its  natural  charms.  Altogether, 
the  Rio  Cobre  (Anglice  Copper  River)  is  a  charming  stream, 
and  a  very  useful  one,  to  boot.  At  its  mouth  is  Passage 
Fort,  where  the  Cromwellian  troops  under  Penn  and  Vena- 
bles  landed,  in  1655. 

"Old  Harbour  Bay,  about  10  miles  beyond  Spanish  Town, 
and  23  from  Kingston,  is  connected  with  the  Spanish  occu- 
pation by  tradition,  for  in  Galleon  Harbour,  its  offshoot,  the 
first  Spaniards  arriving  here,  under  Esquivel,  are  said  to 
have  landed.  The  ancient  Tamarind  Tree  Church,  still 
standing,  is  said  to  have  been  built  by  orders  of  Don  Diego 
Columbus,  son  of  Christopher  the  discoverer,  and  if  this 
be  true  it  is  the  most  interesting  relic  of  Spanish  times  in 
the  island.  Old  Harbour  proper  lies  at  a  little  distance  from 
the  railway  station  of  that  name,  and  to  reach  it  a  vehicle 
must  be  taken  to  the  port. 

The  next  station  on  the  line  of  any  importance  is  May 
Pen,  2)2)  miles  from  Kingston,  approached  by  a  lattice-girder 
iron  bridge  300  feet  in  length,  with  a  central  span  of  150  feet. 
This  bridge  spans  the  Rio  Minho,  generally  known  as  the 
Dry  River,  because  for  10  miles  or  so  of  its  course  it  is 
usually  dry,  the  water  pursuing  a  subterranean  channel,  and 
reappearing  below  May  Pen,  only  flowing  above  ground  in 
times  of  flood. 

Poms,  47  miles,  and  760  feet  above  sea-level,  is  a  station 
that  was  named  after  the  two  brothers  who  fought  Columbus 
when  he  was  shipwrecked  on  the  north  coast,  and  is  not 
interesting  otherwise. 

Mandeville,  Health  Resort.  From  the  station  of  JVil- 
liamsiield  (53  miles,  1,300  feet)  "traps"  may  be  hired 
(2s.  6d.  each  passenger)    for  the  charming  hill   town  and 


JAMAICA  173 

health  resort  of  Mandeville,  2.200  feet  elevation.  The  drive 
thither  is  through  a  beautiful  country,  and  as  the  road  is 
constantly  ascending,  the  air  is  cool  and  bracing  all  the  way. 
The  town  has  the  aspect,  all  agree,  of  an  English  village, 
and  J.  A.  Froude  says:  'T  found  myself  in  an  exact  repro- 
duction of  a  Warwickshire  hamlet  before  the  days  of  rail- 
ways and  brick  chimneys.  There  were  no  elms,  to  be  sure ; 
but  there  were  silk-cotton  trees  and  mangos  where  they 
should  have  been.  There  were  boys  playing  cricket,  a  mar- 
ket-house, a  modest  inn,  a  shop  or  two,  and  a  blacksmith's 
forge  with  a  shed,  where  horses  were  standing  waiting  their 
turn  to  be  shod ;  and  across  the  green  was  the  Parish 
Church,  with  its  three  aisles  and  low  square  tower." 

Jamaicans  think  Mandeville  too  cool  for  comfort,  accus- 
tomed as  they  are  to  high  temperatures ;  but  the  visitor  is 
likely  to  find  it  extremely  agreeable,  with  pure  mountain 
breezes  sweeping  the  plateau  by  night  and  by  day.  The 
scenery  is  picturesque,  the  drives  delightful,  and  there  are 
excellent  hotels  for  the  most  fastidious,  besides  several  board- 
ing-houses of  repute.  Particular  attention  is  called  to  the 
Wavcrley  House,  situated  a  short  distance  from  town,  on  an 
elevation  that  affords  extensive  views. 

Mandeville  is  situated  in  the  centre  of  Manchester  Parish, 
a  region  of  park-like  estates  and  beautiful  trees,  with  scenery 
that  reminds  one  of  "home,"  if  that  be  in  a  Northern  coun- 
try, and  yet  abounding  in  oranges  (for  which  it  is  famous), 
coffee,  cacao,  etc.  The  station  of  Green  Vale,  in  the  north- 
ern part  of  this  parish,  is  1,700  feet  above  sea-level,  and 
the  highest  point  on  the  railway  line.  A  rolling  country 
follows,  with  grazing  "pens,"  interspersed  with  forests  of 
cabinet  and  dye  woods,  beyond  which  is  the  beautiful  Ox- 
ford Valley,  seen  after  emerging  from  the  first  tunnel. 

Santa  Cruz  Mountains.  Balaclava,  70  miles,  800  feet 
elevation,  is  a  centre  of  the  coffee  and  ginger  trade,  and  it 
is  from  this  station,  or  the  farther  one  of  Appleton  {yy  miles. 
435  feet),  that  the  famous  Santa  Cruz  Mountains  may  be 
reached.  The  town  of  Malvern  is  the  commercial  centre 
of  this  salubrious  region,  where  the  pure  air  from  the  sea 
is  the  dryest  and  the  temperature  most  equable  of  any  spot 
in  Jamaica.     "The  proximity  to  the  sea,  with  an  altitude  of 


174  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST  INDIES 

about  2,500  feet,  furnishes  a  dry  atmosphere  freighted  with 
ozone ;  and  the  ceaseless  energy  of  the  breezes,  which  blow 
throughout  the  whole  year,  tempers  the  air,  which  under 
ordinary  circumstances  would  be  charged  with  humidity. 
Such  a  combination  of  meteorological  conditions  makes  the 
climate  of  these  mountains  unrivalled  anywhere  else  in 
Jamaica."  It  is  particularly  recommended  for  those  afflicted 
with  pulmonary  complaints. 

The  drive  from  Balaclava  to  Malvern  occupies  about  five 
hours,  and  the  cost  of  a  buggy  is  25  shillings  for  one,  and 
30  shillings  for  three;  the  same  time  and  rates  from  Apple- 
ton,  as  well  as  from  Mandeville.  There  is  one  hotel,  the 
Astor  House.  Two  boarding-houses  and  several  furnished 
cottages  are  also  to  be  found  here,  the  former  with  charges 
of  2  guineas  per  week,  and  the  latter  at  35  to  65  shillings  per 
month.  It  is  said  that  some  remarkable  cures  have  been 
eflfected  by  long  residence  here,  in  cases  of  lung  trouble. 

The  Cockpit  Country.  The  railway  line  descends  from 
Balaclava,  for  quite  a  distance  passing  through  the  tropical 
glades  of  Black  River,  the  longest  navigable  stream  in 
Jamaica,  famous  for  its  dye  woods  and  alligator  shooting. 
The  light  pirogues  of  the  logwood  gatherers  penetrate  a  dis- 
tance of  30  miles  into  the  ,  island.  Between  Appleton  and 
Breadnut  Valley  are  beautiful  cascades  in  the  winding  river, 
beyond  which  the  road  ascends  again,  at  Ipszvich  station  at- 
taining an  altitude  of  783  feet,  at  a  distance  of  86  miles 
from  Kingston. 

The  line  now^  skirts  the  famous  "Cockpit  Country,"  a  waste 
region,  consisting  mainly  of  small  conical  hills  composed 
of  limestone,  alternating  with  rich  glades  in  which  bananas 
and  other  tropical  fruits  grow  to  perfection.  So  wild 
is  this  region  that  it  has  never  yet  been  fully  explored, 
it  is  said,  and  formerly  the  Maroons,  or  runaway  negroes, 
had  their  fastnesses  here.  Accompong,  the  old  Maroon 
Tozvn,  lies  in  the  Cockpit  Country  northeast  of  Ipswich  and 
Mulgrave.  Southwest  of  these  stations  lie  the  "Surinam 
Quarters,"  so  called,  because  this  section,  in  the  southern 
part  of  Westmoreland,  was  originally  settled  by  Dutchmen 
from  Surinam,  w^hose  descendants  yet  reside  here. 

The  railway  now  runs  almost  due  northv/est,  through  the 


JAMAICA  175 

Great  River  valley,  the  principal  station  in  which  is  Mont- 
pelicr,  102  miles  from  Kingston,  and  400  feet  above  sea- 
level.  It  is  celebrated  for  the  vast  estates  adjacent,  contain- 
ing thousands  of  acres,  over  which  roam  herds  of  quaint 
Indian  cattle,  imported  by  a  wealthy  gentleman,  the  Hon. 
Evelyn  Ellis,  who  also  owns  the  Montpelier  Hotel,  a  strictly 
high-class  hostelry,  said  to  be  the  most  richly  furnished  of 
any  in  the  island. 

Montego  Bay.  Ten  miles  beyond  Montpelier  is  Montego 
Bay,  the  northwestern  terminus  of  the  Jamaica  Railway, 
1 13  miles  from  Kingston,  the  southeastern  terminus.  The  view 
of  the  town  and  beautiful  bay,  as  the  road  sweeps  toward 
them,  unfolding  a  vast  panorama  of  sea  and  shore,  is  superb. 
]\Iontego  is  a  corruption  of  the  Spanish  mantcca,  or  lard, 
for  which,  in  its  earlier  days,  it  was  famous  as  a  shipping- 
port.  Opening  toward  the  island  of  Cuba,  which  was  then 
the  chief  possession  of  the  Spaniards,  IMontego  Bay  became 
rich  and  flourishing.  Hither  came  the  proud  hidalgos,  who 
were  not  above  enriching  themselves  by  trying-out  and  ship- 
ping the  fat  from  wild  swine,  that  roamed  the  forests  then 
and  were  to  be  had  for  the  killing. 

For  beauty  of  location,  advantages  of  situation  as  a  com- 
mercial entrepot  for  all  the  northwest  country,  and  pictur- 
csqueness  of  surrounding  scenery,  IMontego  Bay  is  unsur- 
passed. It  seems  destined  to  become  a  great  winter  resort 
in  the  future,  as  well  as  a  shipping-port  for  tropical  fruits. 
It  has  several  taverns  and  boarding-houses  (see  general 
list)  and  a  beautifully-located  sanitarium,  on  an  eminence 
near  the  town.  Sea-bathing  may  be  had  here  in  perfection, 
morning  and  evening,  at  Doctor's  Cove,  which  is  pronounced 
an  ideal  spot,  with  its  shelving  beach  of  silver  sand. 

Perhaps  the  chief  object  of  interest  here  is  the  old  Parish 
Church  with  its  monumental  marbles  and  tablets.  One  of 
the  most  imposing  monuments  is  that  to  the  memory  of  Mrs. 
Rose  Palmer,  who,  though  lauded  in  the  inscription  as  a 
saint,  is  charged  by  tradition  with  the  removal  by  poisoning 
of  several  husbands  in  succession.  She  herself  was  strangled 
(tradition  also  states)  by  a  negro  paramour,  in  proof  of 
which  a  sanguinary  discolouration  appears  around  the  throat 
of  her  carven  figure  (which  is  the  work  of  the  elder  Bacon, 


176  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST   INDIES 

a  celebrated  sculptor),  and  which  was  not  there  when  the 
statue  was  originally   carved. 

It  seems,  however,  that  the  deceased  dame  was  greatly 
maligned,  for  the  much-married  murderess  was  the  second 
wife  of  her  husband,  who  after  her  death  espoused  a  beauti- 
ful, but  depraved,  Irish  girl.  This  woman  was  singularly 
cruel  to  her  slaves,  flogging  some  to  death  and  beheading 
others,  and  finally  was  murdered,  as  narrated.  Her  blood- 
stains may  yet  be  seen,  it  is  said,  on  the  floor  of  a  room  in 
Palmyra  or  Rose  Hall,  the  ruins  of  which  are  to  be  found 
about  10  miles  distant  from  Montego  Bay.  Rose  Hall  was 
built  in  1760,  at  a  cost  of  about  $150,000,  and  so  finely  fur- 
nished that  it  was  notable,  even  in  this  island  of  beautiful 
mansions.  The  walls  still  stand,  and  these,  with  mahogany 
carvings,  exquisite  paintings,  inlaid  ebony  furniture,  and 
arabesque  cornices,  attest  the  magnificence  of  the  costly 
structure  when  inhabited. 

The  drives  about  Alontego  are  delightful,  offering  sea  and 
land  scapes  of  exquisite  beauty. 

Rail  to  Ewarton.  There  are  two  trains  daily,  except 
Sundays,  from  Kingston  to  Ewarton  and  return,  and  three 
from  Spanish  Town.  Time,  from  Spanish  Town,«about  one 
hour,  into  which  are  crow^ded  scenes  of  beauty  that  few  trips 
of  equal  length  can  show\  To  Bog  Walk,  the  first  station, 
the  distance  is  8  miles,  parallel  with  the  picturesque  Rio 
Cohre,  the  windings  of  which  may  be  traced  by  the  deeper 
green  along  its  banks.  The  tunnels  on  this  short  route  ag- 
gregate 1,000  yards  in  length,  emerging  from  the  last  of 
which  the  view  overlooks  the  dam  erected  by  the  Kingston 
Electric  Company  for  the  driving  of  Its  turbines.  Two  miles 
beyond  Bog  Walk  (already  described)  is  the  small  but  flour- 
ishing town  of  Linstead,  and  6  miles  farther  Ewarton,  which 
is  760  feet  above  sea-level  and  29  miles  from  Kingston. 
This  is  a  centre  for  picturesque  scenery,  and  the  terminus  of 
the  railway  in  this  direction,  w^hich  is  northwest  from  Span- 
ish Town. 

Less  than  3  miles  from  Ewarton  is  a  wonderful  cave,  that 
of  River  Head,  the  roof  of  which  is  like  a  lofty  dome  and 
hung  with  stalactites.  A  singular  feature  of  this  cave  is 
that  a  large  stream,  known  as  the  Black  Riz'cr,  emerges  from 


JAMAICA  177 

it  with  considerable  volume.  It  has  been  followed  under- 
ground for  more  than  a  mile,  rafts  and  lights  being  pro- 
vided at  the  entrance  for  a  small  fee.  A  lovely  country  lies 
adjacent  to  Ewarton,  but  the  best  hotel  in  this  section  is 
found  at  Moncague,  9  miles  distant,  so  that  travellers  gen- 
erally prefer  to  journey  on  and  make  headquarters  there.  A 
magnificent  highway  runs  over  Mount  Diablo,  at  an  alti- 
tude of  1,800  feet,  with  wide-extended  views  over  that  quaint 
parish,  St.  Thonas-in-ye-Vale,  above  which  the  watershed 
sends  large  streams  north  and  south,  to  either  coast.  Holly- 
mount  House,  2  miles  from  Ewarton,  is  a  well-situated  hos- 
telry, on  a  tree-clad  eminence,  2.700  feet  above  the  sea,  and 
almost  surrounded  with  groves  of  orange  and  pimento,  with 
other  tropical  trees. 

Moneague  and  Vicinity.  Moncague,  9  miles  beyond  the 
railway  terminus  at  Ewarton,  is  famous  for  its  lovely  scenery 
and  fine  hotel,  with  the  added  attraction  of  a  most  delicious 
climate.  The  hamlet  is  environed  by*rich  pasture-land,  and 
outside  the  village  the  hotel  is  situated,  occupying  a  sightly 
location  on  an  old  estate  known  as  Rose  Hall.  The  hotel 
farm,  comprising  some  250  acres,  supplies  the  table  with  deli- 
cious fruits  and  vegetables,  milk,  eggs,  mutton  and  poultry. 
Fine  drives  are  available  here,  to  Claremont,  Fern  Gully, 
Roaring  River  Falls,  and  various  points  on  the  north  coast — 
which  last  will  be  found  described  in  an  itinerary  of  the 
Windward  Road  and  Coastal  Trip. 

This  is  a  region  of  cascades,  most  of  which,  however,  are 
more  easily  accessible  from  the  coast  than  from  Moneague. 
One  of  the  region's  wonders  is  Fern  Gully,  9  miles  distant,  a 
ravine  about  4  miles  in  length,  40  to  60  feet  wide,  with  almost 
perpendicular  walls,  and  literally  filled  with  ferns,  from  the 
tiniest  "filmies"  to  the  giant  tree-ferns.  With  its  great  forest 
trees  hung  with  lianas  and  air-plants,  and  rocks  concealed 
among  the  foliage  of  ferns  by  the  million,  apparently,  this 
unique  gully  deserves  more  than  passing  mention.  It  is  best 
reached  from  Ocho  Rios,  which  is  about  4  miles  distant, 
on  the  north   coast. 

Kingston  to  Port  Antonio.  The  journey  between  Kings- 
ton and  Port  Antonio  occupies  about  four  hours,  though 
the  distance  is  a  little  under  75  miles.     Beyond  Bog  Walk 


178  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST  INDIES 

(already  mentioned,  preceding)  the  first  station  is  Riversdale 
(27  miles  from  Kingston,  altitude  500  feet),  a  few  minutes' 
distance  from  which  is  the  natural  arch  of  rock  over  the 
Rio  del  Oro.  Owing  to  poor  connections  here  with  trains 
going  and  coming,  the  Natural  Bridge  can  best  be  visited 
by  buggy  from  Bog  Walk. 

The  leisurely  manner  in  which  the  trains  progress  is  easily 
explained  by  the  gradients  to  be  overcome,  the  numerous 
tunnels  (thirty  or  more)  along  the  line  and  the  sharp  curves. 
Even  the  tunnels,  some  of  them,  are  crooked,  and  the  road 
winds  its  way  through  the  central  mountain  range  like  a 
snake  to  Troja  (31  miles,  altitude  734  feet),  and  at  Rich- 
mond (36  miles  and  456  feet)  all  the  streams  are  seen  run- 
ning to  the  northern  coast.  We  are  now  in  the  fruit  coun- 
try par  excellence,  judging  from  the  coffee,  cacao,  cocoa  and 
banana  groves,  and  all  the  stations  are  shipping-points  tribu- 
tary to  the  United  Fruit  Company  at  Port  Antonio.  Geo- 
graphically speaking,  it  belongs  to  the  north  coast,  and  hence 
will  be  described  with  that  section,  in  giving  the  excursions 
from  Port  Antonio,  the  centre  of  life  and  energy  for  all  this 
region.  The  descent  from  Richmond  is  quite  abrupt,  for  at 
Albany  (42  miles  from  Kingston)  we  are  139  feet  above 
the  sea,  and  at  Annotto  Bay  (50  miles)  are  on  the  shore  it- 
self. From  this  point  to  Port  Antonio  there  is  a  beautiful 
succession  of  sea-scapes  unsurpassed,  consisting  of  curving 
shores  lined  with  graceful  cocoa-palms  by  thousands,  inter- 
spersed with  foaming  streams  dashing  down  from  the  moun- 
tains;  and  all  within  sound  and  sight  of  the  sea. 

The  Great  Windward  Road.  We  have  already  made 
mention  of  the  grand  system  of  highways  by  which  Jamaica 
is  traversed  in  every  direction  over  roads  as  nearly  perfect  as 
they  can  be  made  by  competent  engineers  and  skilled  la- 
bour. The  island  is  encircled  by  a  belt-line  highway  which 
is  intersected  at  every  important  point  by  roads  to  the  in- 
terior and  across  from  one  coast  to  another.  For  a  pound 
sterling  per  day,  one  may  hire  a  carriage  and  two  horses, 
with  driver,  and  leisurely  drift  from  town  to  town,  taking 
no  heed  of  time,  until  the  whole  island  is  encompassed. 
Striking  easterly  from  Kingston  is  the  first  link  in  the  sys- 
tem, the  Great  Windward  Road,  to  the  east  coast  and  the 


JAMAICA  179 

north.  Only  the  chief  points  of  interest  can  be  named,  so 
numerous  are  the  attractions  to  a  stranger. 

At  the  head  of  Kingston  Harbour  stands  Rock  Fort,  one 
of  the  landward  defences  of  the  capital,  built  in  1755,  and 
now  dismantled.  It  may  be  reached  by  boat  or  highway, 
a  perfect  combination  being  both,  one  going  and  the  other 
returning,  and  the  time  a  moonlit  night,  cool,  sweet,  entranc- 
ing. The  Great  Road  passes  through  the  gateway  of  the  old 
fort,  the  sole  garrison  of  which  is  now  a  small  body  of  con- 
stabulary. Near  the  fort  is  a  mineral  bath,  with  waters  cura- 
tive for  rheumatism,  permission  to  sport  in  w^hich  must  be 
obtained  from  the  officials  of  the  penitentiary — charge  six- 
pence "per  head." 

Cane  River  Falls  are  in  a  grand  ravine  about  9  miles  on 
the  Windward  Road  east  from  Kingston,  and  i>^  from  the 
negro  hamlet  of  Seven  Miles.  The  trip  may  be  made  all 
the  way  by  land,  or  part  way  by  boat  to  the  harbour  head, 
thence  on  foot,  or  by  carriage,  to  the  hamlet,  where  guides 
and  donkeys  may  be  taken  for  the  falls.  Owing  to  the  fre- 
quent fordings  of  the  river,  this  journey  can  be  made  only 
in  the  dry  season,  which,  fortunately  for  the  tourist,  is  in 
the  winter.  After  innumerable  windings  and  turnings,  the 
ascent  to  the  falls  is  made  by  a  solidly  constructed  pathway, 
the  trail  up  to  this  point  having  been  between  parallel  preci- 
pices of  rock,  hung  with  orchids,  ferns  and  flowering  vines. 
This  ravine  is  always  cool,  even  in  the  hottest  days  of  sum- 
mer. The  principal  cascade  drops  into  a  huge  basin  from  a 
shelf  of  rock,  behind  which  one  may  pass,  and  behold  the 
sheet  of  water,  like  a  green  veil  fringed  with  silver.  Here 
is  a  cave,  which  was  formerly  the  haunt  of  Three-fingered 
Jack,  a  brigand  so  noted  and  feared  that  the  government 
offered  a  reward  for  his  capture,  dead  or  alive.  He  was 
brought  to  account  by  a  Maroon  of  the  mountains,  who 
killed  him  in  single  combat,  and  took  his  mutilated  hand 
to  headquarters  as  proof  of  his  achievement,  for  which  he 
received  a  pension  of  £20  a  year  during  the  rest  of  his  life. 

Nineteen  miles  from  Kingston  the  Yallahs  River  is  en- 
countered, a  broad  and  shallow  but  treacherous  stream, 
which,  despite  the  fact  that  many  people  have  been  drowned 
in  fording  it,  is  yet  unbridged.     The  town  of  Easington,  on 


i8o  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST   INDIES 

the  Yallahs,  boasts  a  suspension  bridge,  and  is  the  chief  place 
in  the  district,  the  most  notable  object  in  which  is  "Judgment 
Cliff,"  or  the  half  of  a  mountain  which  was  "rent  asunder  in 
the  great  earthquake  of  1692."  It  rises  bleak  and  bare  to  a 
height  of  1. 000  feet,  about  2  miles  distant  from  Easington. 
Tradition  says  that  at  the  time  it  was  split  the  dislocated 
portion  fell  upon  and  overwhelmed  the  plantation  of  a  licen- 
tious Dutchman;  hence  its  name  of  "Judgment  Clifif." 

Twelve  miles  from  Yallahs  is  Mo  rant  Bay,  which  is  mainly- 
interesting  as  the  scene  of  the  rebellion  of  1865,  when  the 
insurrectionary  blacks  murdered  the  curate  of  Bath,  the  cus- 
tos  of  the  parish,  magistrate  and  other  officials,  by  hacking 
them  to  pieces  with  machetes.  There  is  a  tavern  here,  and 
local  guides  abound.  If  one  be  inclined  to  explore  a  little, 
he  might  take  the  old  bridle-trail  from  Island  Mead,  on 
the  "left  arm"  of  the  Movant  River,  and  essay  a  journey 
to  the  ancient  ]\Iaroon  settlement  of  Nanny  Tozvn,  which 
figured  conspicuously  in  the  native  or  "runaway"  wars. 

Bowden  and  Port  Morant.  Port  Morant  is  7  miles 
from  Morant  Bay,  on  the  road  to  which  is  a  great  white 
clifif,  known  to  seamen  as  "White  Horses,"  with  views  of 
and  from  it  extremely  grand.  The  best  hotel  in  this  sec- 
tion is  that  at  Bowden,  which  is*  practically  a  creation  of  the 
United  Fruit  Company,  and  the  residence  of  its  venerable 
promoter.  Captain  Baker.  On  a  hilltop  known  as  Peak  View 
the  Fruit  Company  has  erected  several  cottages  for  the  bene- 
fit of  visitors,  who  can  obtain  .board  and  lodging  there  at 
$15  per  week,  with  reduced  rates  for  a  longer  stay.  The  port 
is  accessible  by  their  steamers  and  really  is  an  appanage  of 
Port  Antonio,  though  more  than  50  miles  distant.  Origi- 
nally, Bowden  was  acquired  by  the  company  as  an  estate  for 
raising  bananas  and  cocoanuts,  but  its  picturesque  location 
suggested  its  utilisation  as  a  resort. 

A  railroad  6  miles  long  connects  Bowden  and  Port  Morant 
with  Golden  Grove,  a  magnificent  estate  now  devoted  to 
banana  raising.  The  Main  Road  branches  beyond  Port 
Morant,  one  division  running  to  Holland  Bay,  near  the 
mouth  of  Plantain  Garden  River,  and  the  other  northerly 
to  Bath. 

Bath  of  St,  Thomas  the  Apostle.     This   famous  bath 


JAMAICA  i8i 

is  situated  near  the  village  of  Bath,  about  40  miles  from 
Kingston,  and  reached  not  only  by  stage-coach  over  the  high- 
way, but  by  coastal  steamer  as  well,  which  lands  passengers 
at  Port  Morant.  The  scenery  here  is  purely  tropical,  the 
elevation  about  170  feet  above  the  coast,  the  air  pure,  but  in 
the  summer  months  very  humid.  The  winter  months,  from 
]\Iarch  to  April,  inclusive,  are  the  best  for  invalids.  The 
springs,  also,  are  said  to  be  hotter  then  and  more  highly 
charged  with  their  mineral  constituents.  The  bath-house  is 
about  i^  miles  from  the  village,  reached  by  a  good  road 
through  a  narrow  gorge  to  a  deep  ravine,  in  which  the 
springs  take  their  rise.  Some  of  these  are  cold,  and  some  are 
hot  and  steaming,  running  almost  side  by  side  to  the  baths, 
where  the  arrangements  are  most  complete  for  their  use. 

An  eminent  physician  says  of  these  hot  springs :  "By  the 
rare  combination  in  them  of  the  sulphites  of  lime  and  soda 
they  furnish  the  most  beautiful  problem  in  therapeutics,  the 
most  powerful  remedy  for  phthisis."  They  are  also  stimu- 
lant and  highly  beneficial  in  many  chronic  complaints  and 
in  a  great  variety  of  skin  diseases.  An  enthusiastic  writer 
of  the  eighteenth  century  declared  that  the  water  sent  a 
thrilling  glow  through  the  whole  body,  its  continued  use 
enlivening  the  spirits,  and  sometimes  producing  almost  the 
same  joyous  eflfects  as  inebriation.  "On  this  account  some 
notorious  topers  have  quitted  their  claret  for  a  while,  and 
come  to  the  springs  for  the  sake  of  a  little  variety  in  their 
debauch,  to  enjoy  the  singular  felicity  of  getting  drunk 
on  water !"  However  this  may  be — and  the  writer  makes 
no  affidavit  to  this  statement — it  is  certainly  true  that  the 
waters  have  proved  of  great  benefit  to  generations  of  visitors, 
and  were  probably  known  to  the  aborigines  before  the  com- 
ing of  the  white  men. 

The  first  of  Jamaica's  botanic  gardens  was  established  at 
Bath,  in  1774,  the  precursor  of  the  beautiful  and  beneficial 
gardens  of  this  sort  which  now  exist  in  the  island,  as  well 
as  in  St.  Vincent  and  Trinidad.  There  is  a  lodging-house 
here,  where  travellers  are  comfortably  entertained,  and  if 
one  cares  to  explore  a  bit,  in  an  almost  untraversed  country, 
an  opportunity  offers  by  a  ride  through  the  wonderful  Cuna 
Cuna   Pass   of  the   Blue   Mountains,  at  the  headwaters   of 


i82  A  GUIDE  TO   THE  WEST   INDIES 

the  Rio  Grande,  which  may  be  followed  to  the  Maroon  settle- 
ment of  Moore  Tozvn,  and  northerly  to  Port  Antonio.  By 
taking  the  trail  along  the  banks  of  Garden  River,  also,  one 
may  penetrate  to  another  Maroon  settlement  of  olden  tihies. 
the  historic  Nanny  Town,  already  mentioned. 

Means  and  cost  of  reaching  Bath :  Kingston  to  Bath, 
by  carriage  (55  miles),  £3. 

Steamer  to  Bowden,  first-class,  10  shillings ;  to  Bath,  car- 
riage,   10  shillings. 

From  Port  Antonio,  by  carriage  (38  miles),  £2  los. ; 
steamer  to  Bowden,  10  shillings ;  thence  by  buggy,  10  shil- 
lings. 

Lodgings,  ]\Iiss  Duffey's  boarding-honse. 

Portland  Parish.  Taken  altogether,  the  parish  of  St. 
Thomas,  which  includes  all  territory  east  of  Yallahs  River 
and  south  of  the  Blue  Mountain  ridge,  is  perhaps  the  most 
picturesque  on  the  south  coast.  It  has  a  rival,  however,  in 
Portland  Parish,  lying  between  the  Blue  ^Mountains  and  the 
north  coast ;  but  both  are  very  beautiful. 

The  road  from  Bath  follows  the  Plantain  Garden  River  to 
the  coast,  along  which  it  runs,  northerly  and  then  westerly, 
the  entire  length  of  the  island,  nearly  always  within  sight  and 
sound  of  the  sea.  The  port  of  Manchioneal,  on  the  east  coast. 
17  miles  from  Port  Morant,  was,  like  Morant  Bay  and  Bath, 
a  scene  of  massacre  in  the  insurrection  of  1865,  and  many 
negroes  were  executed  here  and  buried  on  the  beach.  The 
ubiquitous  "Tom  Cringle,"  as  narrated  in  his  "Log,"  had 
some  lively  adventures  here,  also.  Deep  bays  and  inlets  in- 
dent the  coast  above  ]\Ianchioneal,  and  the  scenery  is  very 
picturesque,  but  the  country  mainly  is  "ruinate,"  so  far  as 
eastern  Portland  is  concerned.  The  John  Crow  Mountains 
rise  on  the  west,  the  sea  bounds  the  prospect  on  the  east, 
so  that  this  section  is  entirely  isolated  from  the  rest  of  the 
island.  But  for  the  enterprise  of  one  man,  some  forty  years 
ago,  eastern  Portland  might  have  continued  in  the  desola- 
tion to  which  the  emancipation  of  the  negro  slaves  brought 
it,  thirty  years  before. 

Port  Antonio.  It  is  universally  acknowledged  in  Jamaica 
that  one  man,  and  those  he  associated  with  him  in  business, 
brought  prosperity  not  only  to   Portland    Parish,   but  also 


JAMAICA  183 

to  Jamaica.  This  man  was  Captain  L.  D.  Baker,  a  "Yankee 
skipper"  from  Boston,  who  sailed  his  schooner  to  these  parts, 
finding  the  northeast  coast  pleasant  and  fair  to  look  upon, 
but  at  the  same  time  almost  abandoned  by  the  whites  and 
given  over  to  African  savagery.  He  saw  that  the  soil  was 
fertile ;  but  knew  that  sugar  and  rum  were  no  longer  re- 
munerative, though  millions  of  bananas  and  oranges  were 
rotting  on  the  ground.  The  former  fruit,  he  knew,  com- 
manded high  prices  in  the  States,  and  he  took  a  small  cargo 
up  there,  with  profitable  results.  That  was  in  1868,  and  from 
that  small  beginning  arose  the  immense  industry  that  has 
saved  Jamaica  from  absolute  ruin,  has  renovated  thousands 
of  acres  formerly  ruinate,  given  employment  to  many  thou- 
sand labourers,  created  wealth  and  activity  where  before 
were  poverty  and  sloth,  and  practically  re-created  opulent 
Port  Antonio,  now  the  chief  port  of  the  north  coast,  and 
second  only  to  Kingston  in  the  importance  of  its  commerce. 
As  the  damage  done  by  the  earthquake  here  was  relatively 
slight,  it  is  possible  that,  should  Kingston  suffer  a  constant 
recurrence  of  seismic  tremors.  Port  Antonio  may  usurp  its 
place  as  Jamaica's  emporium  and  winter  resort.  Be  that  as  it 
may,  it  is  now  a  flourishing  centre  of  bustling  business,  wholly 
American  in  its  energy,  enterprise  and  thrift.  It  is  the  great 
centre  and  emporium  of  the  fruit  trade,  which  is  now  the 
staple  industry,  not  only  of  the  parish  of  Portland,  but  of  the 
ihland. 

The  United  Fruit  Company,  says  the  official  Handbook  of 
Jamaica,  has  a  fleet  during  the  busy  season,  say  from 
March  ist  to  October  ist,  consisting  of  24  steamships  [now 
30],  6  each  for  Boston,  New  York,  Philadelphia  and  Balti- 
more. Included  in  these  are  the  fine  passenger  ships,  the 
Admirals  Dezvcy,  Farragut,  Schley  and  Sampson.  "These 
ships  make  the  passage  to  their  respective  ports  in  from 
4  days  5  hours  to  4  days  15  hours ;  are  furnished  with 
electric  light  and  other  facilities,  and  are  among  the  fastest 
ships  doing  business  in  these  waters." 

That  is  a  succinct  statement  of  what  Captain  Baker's  ven- 
ture in  bananas  grew  to  in  less  than  forty  years,  and  it  is 
made  on  the  authority  of  British  officialdom,  so  it  must  be 
correct.     But  that  is  not  all,  by  any  means,  and  to  see  all, 


i84  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST   INDIES 

to  fully  appreciate  all,  one  should  visit  Port  Antonio  (sail- 
ing in  one  of  those  magnificent  steamers),  should  put  up  at 
the  company's  hotel,  the  peerless  TitchHeld,  and  make  excur- 
sions thence  into  the  country,  where  the  company  owns 
more  than  forty  plantations,  from  which  it  ships  annually  in 
excess  of  5.000.000  bunches  of  bananas  and  10,000,000  cocoa- 
nuts.  Besides  negroes  by  thousands,  the  company  employs 
600  coolies.  600  mules,  800  oxen,  and  almost  literally  owns 
the  ''cattle  on  a  thousand  hills."  All  the  plantations  are  con- 
nected by  telephone  with  the  president's  office  at  Port  An- 
tonio, by  which  means  every  superintendent  is  directly  in 
touch  with  the  general  manager,  who  controls  produce  and 
shipments  absolutely.  It  is  this  perfect  organisation  which 
is  the  keynote  of  the  company's  success — a  success  un- 
paralleled in  the  annals  of  fruit-raising  and  shipment  in  any 
country. 

Port  Antonio,  Town  and  Harbour.  The  parish  re- 
ceived its  name  from  Henry  Bentinck,  Duke  of  Portland, 
one-time  Governor-General  of  Jamaica,  who  died  in  office 
at  Spanish  Town.  July  4.  1726.  He  was  created  Marquis  of 
TitchHeld  in  1716,  and  after  him  the  great  hotel  was  named. 
Though  far-distant  from  the  capital,  in  the  early  days  of 
Jamaica's  history  Port  Antonio  was  provided  with  formid- 
able defences  in  the  shape  of  a  half-moon  battery ;  now  obso- 
lete, of  course,  and  armed  with  antique  cannon.  The  Port 
has  a  double  harbour,  on  a  picturesque  peninsula  between 
which  town  and  hotel  occupy  commanding  positions,  the  lat- 
ter on  a  hill  overlooking  the  sea,  behind  it  the  red-roofed, 
jalousied  houses,  nestled  amid  green  and  golden  cocoa-palms. 
Verdure-clad  hills  rise  by  successive  steps  to  the  altitude  of 
mountains,  culminating  in  the  magnificent  Blue  ]\Iountain 
range,  with  its  numerous  peaks  wreathed  in  clouds.  ■Moun- 
tains and  sea  combine  to  give  Port  Antonio  a  special  charm, 
and  here  we  find  embodied,  as  it  were,  all  the  fascinating 
features  that  make  of  Jamaica  a  perfect  wanter  resort,  an 
outdoor  sanitarium,  a  place  for  recreation  and  the  prolonga- 
tion of  life. 

Excursions  from  Port  Antonio.  A  tavern  and  several 
boarding-houses  furnish  accommodations  for  travellers  at 
Port  Antonio,  but  the  hotel  par  excellence,  not  alone  of  the 


JAMAICA  185 

island,  but  of  any  island  in  the  western  Caribbean,  is  the  su- 
premely situated  TitchHeld,  with  its  beautiful  site  on  a  hill, 
the  shores  of  which  are  washed  by  the  sea-waves,  affording 
lovely  bathing-places,  and  with  glorious  views  outspread 
from  its  verandas.  It  is  perfect  in  its  equipment,  being  man- 
aged by  the  well-known  proprietors  of  the  hotels  Tuileries 
and  Empire  of  Boston,  and  the  new  Ocean  House  of  Swamp- 
scott  in  Massachusetts.  Owned  by  the  Fruit  and  Steam- 
ship Company,  which  brings  every  Northern  staple  and  deli- 
cacy in  cold  storage  directly  to  its  doors,  the  Titchfield  sets 
before  its  guests  the  best  of  every  clime,  inimitably  served 
by  trained  waiters,  in  the  beautiful  dining-hall  overlooking 
the  tropical  sea  and  shore. 

Provided  that  future  'quakes  put  poor  old  Kingston  "out  of 
the  reckoning,"  and  that  Port  Antonio  be  preserved  immune, 
as  it  has  been  hitherto,  the  entire  island  may  yet  be  visited 
from  this  point,  by  rail,  by  carriage,  and  by  coastal  steamer. 
While  there  is  no  section  of  Jamaica  without  its  special  at- 
traction, still  the  north  coast  alone  would  reward  one  for  a 
voyage  and  tarry  of  many  weeks'  duration.  All  the  points 
enumerated  in  the  previous  pages  are.  accessible  by  road  or 
coastal  steamer,  and,  in  addition,  there  are  small-boat  trips 
from  the  Port  which  are  unique  and  even  fascinating,  such 
as  to  the  mouth  of  the  Rio  Grande  and  the  numerous  little 
bays  that  indent  the  shore.  On  the  Rio  Grande,  or  Great 
River,  which  rises  in  the  mountains  north  of  Bath,  and 
flows  for  more  than  20  miles  through  the  rich  banana  re- 
gion, the  banner  banana  plantation.  Golden  Vale,  is  situated. 
It  is  reached  by  a  good  but  winding  road,  with  fascinating 
fording-places  here  and  there,  and  richest  vegetation  all  the 
way.  Formerly  a  sugar  estate,  it  is  now  devoted  to  the 
more  profitable  cultivation  of  the  delicious  fruit  which,  some 
aver,  was  that  forbidden  to  our  Mother  Eve,  in  Eden.  It 
may  be  taken  as  the  type  of  all  the  great  banana  plantations 
and  should  be  looked  over  carefully,  for  it  has  an  output  of 
many  thousand  bunches  annually,  teems  with  native  and  coolie 
labourers,  and  has  droves  of  mules  and  herds  of  oxen.  Of 
itself  very  interesting,  the  excursion  to  Golden  Vale  may  be 
varied  by  prolonging  it,  over  a  continuation  of  the  same 
road,  to  Moore  Town,  home  of  the  2^Iaroons.     Here  live 


i86  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST   INDIES 

those  peculiar  people  with  a  most  romantic  history,  who 
lor  many  years,  in  the  centuries  past,  defied  the  armed  might 
of  Jamaica  and  Great  Britain.  Although  most  of  them  have 
negro  blood  in  their  veins,  yet  they  are  certainly  a  people 
apart  from  the  blacks,  whom  they  hold  in  supreme  con- 
tempt. In  fact,  during  the  insurrection  of  1865  they  assisted 
the  government  in  trailing  the  black  rebels  to  their  retreats, 
hunting  them  down  and  killing  without  mercy. 

Proud  of  their  history,  possessed  of  great  acumen  as 
hunters  and  fighters,  the  Maroons  yet  dwell  contentedly  in 
their  mountain  retreat  (which  is  rarely  visited  by  outsiders), 
where  their  thatched  and  wattled  huts  of  cane  and  palm- 
leaves  are  perched  upon  the  hillsides,  embowered  in  palms, 
plantains,  bread-fruits,  mangos,  and  such  like  tropical  trees, 
which  give  them  fruit  as  well  as  shade. 

Procuring  a  guide  at  Moore  Town,  the  trail  may  be  fol- 
lowed, but  only  on  foot  or  on  horseback,  to  the  wald  and 
beautiful  Cuna  Cuna  Pass,  whence  one  may  descend  to  Bath 
and  its  hot   springs,   south  of  the  mountain  ridge. 

Westward  from  Port  Antonio.  One  may  "buggy  ride," 
walk,  or  coast  in  small  boat  the  charming  north  shore  of 
Jamaica ;  but  to  save  time  the  railway  may  be  taken,  with 
the  stations  in  reverse  order  from  their  arrangement  on  the 
schedule — Kingston  to  Port  Antonio.  The  first  station  out 
from  Port  Antonio  is  St.  Margaret's  Bay.  time  twenty  min- 
utes, wdiere  the  sea-views,  as  the  train  winds  alongshore, 
beneath  an  almost  perpendicular  clifif,  out  of  which  a  shelf 
has  been  cut  for  the  roadway,  are  superb. 

The  Rio  Grande  is  crossed  over  a  substantial  bridge,  and 
this  crossing  affords  a  delightful  view  up-river  of  this  stream, 
which  is  second  in  size  only  to  the  Black  River  of  the 
southwest  coast.  Beyond  St.  Margaret's  is  Hope  Bay, 
thirty  minutes,  after  which  the  Swift  River  is  crossed, 
Orange  Bay  is  passed,  then  Spanish  River,  and  Buif  Bay 
(town  and  river)  reached,  at  a  distance  of  19  miles  (by  the 
highway)  from  Port  Antonio — all  the  way  through  planta- 
tions of  bananas  and  groves  of  cocoa-palms,  sometimes  so 
near  the  shore  that  in  storms  they  are  drenched  by  the  salt 
spray.  The  road  skirts  the  shore  as  far  as  Annotto  Bay,  a 
town  on  the  east  bank  of  the  Wag  Water  River,  in  going 


JAMAICA  187 

to  which  several  streams  are  crossed :  the  White,  Little  Span- 
ish, and  Dry  rivers.  Annotto  Bay  is  a  place  of  growing  im- 
portance, owing  to  its  shipments  of  logwood  and  bananas, 
and  the  scenery  here,  as  all  along  the  route  to  Port  Antonio, 
is  surpassingly  lovely.  The  railroad  turns  inland  at  this 
point,  and  has  been  described  on  previous  pages;  route  from 
Kingston  to  north  coast. 

Beyond  this  port  the  only  means  of  access  are  by  boat  and 
highway.  Not  far  distant  from  Annotto  Bay  is  a  shallow 
inlet  which  is  rarely  visited,  but  which  is  associated  with  a 
historic  event  that  should  not  be  passed  over,  for  it  was  here, 
in  "Don  Christopher's  Cove"  (still  so  called),  that  Admiral 
Columbus  stranded  his  ships,  in  1504,  and  remained  for  a 
twelvemonth.  At  the  end  of  a  long  voyage  along  the  Hon- 
duras coast  (which  proved  the  last  he  was  to  make  in  the 
West  Indies),  Columbus,  finding  his  ships  leaky  and  worm- 
eaten,  sought  a  place  for  running  them  ashore,  trusting  to 
future  events  for  escape  from  the  island,  then  unknown  as  to 
its  inhabitants  and  resources.  The  Cove  is  a  pretty  little  in- 
let, with  a  smooth  beach  and  shallowing  water,  just  right  for 
bathing ;  but  doubtless  Columbus  and  his  men  tired  of  it 
during  their  long  period  of  repose.  Famine  threatened  them, 
too.  and  it  was  here  that  the  wily  Don  Christopher  "fooled" 
the  aborigines  when  provisions  ran  low,  by  predicting  an 
eclipse  of  the  moon,  which,  occurring  at  the  appointed  time, 
frightened  the  Indians  so  that  they  brought  him  all  the 
food  he  needed  for  months.  Here  also  his  sailors  mutinied, 
under  the  brothers  Porras  (who  are  immortalised  by  hav- 
ing a  village  named  after  them,  on  the  Jamaica  Railway), 
and  his  brother,  Don  Bartholomew,  performed  prodigies  of 
valour  in  subduing  them. 

Westward  from  Annotto  some  16  miles  is  Port  Maria, 
a  town  with  a  fine  but  small  harbour,  anciently  guarded  by 
a  fort,  now  converted  into  a  poor-house  for  the  benefit  of 
the  parish's  impoverished  people.  A  dozen  fortunate  in- 
digents inhabit  here,  supported  by  a  fund  called  "Gray's 
Charity."  which  yields  them  a  weekly  allowance  Of  5  shil- 
lings each,  wood,  water,  and  furnished  apartments  in  the 
old  fort,  from  the  parapets  of  which  one  of  the  island's 
finest  views  is  afforded. 


i88  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST   INDIES 

Six  miles  west  of  Port  Maria  is  Oracabessa  Bay  (prob- 
ably a  corruption  of  Cabeza  de  Oro,  or  Golden  Head), 
where  Columbus  first  landed,  Alay  5,  1494.  About  the  same 
distance  westward  we  find  Rio  Nuevo,  or  New  River,  where 
the  Spaniards  made  their  last  stand  in  Jamaica.  Don  Arnaldo 
Sasi,  the  last  Spanish  governor,  who  was  driven  from  the 
island  by  the  English  in  1655,  returned  two  years  later  with 
a  thousand  men  and  fortified  a  rocky  eminence  near  the 
sea  at  Rio  Nuevo.     There  he  was  attacked  by  the  English 

(1658)  and  defeated,  finally  escaping  from  the  island  in  a 
canoe,  at  a  place  in  the  adjoining  parish  called  "Runaivay 
Bay,"  which  name  it  still  bears. 

The  north  coast  is  preeminently  a  region  of  rivers,  and 
every  mile  or  two  a  rippling  stream  or  foaming  cascade 
springs  into  view.  The  Spaniards  perpetuated  the  number 
of  streams  in  one  place  by  the  name  Ocho  Rios,  or  Eight 
Rivers,  which  lies  about  midway  between  Rio  Nuevo  and 
St.  Ann's  Bay.  It  is  a  small  country  village  with  many 
natural  beauties  abounding,  on  the  cliffs  near  which  is  an 
attractive  hotel  called  the  Sylvia  Lawn.  It  would  be  well 
to  tarry  here  at  least  a  day,  if  only  to  inspect  some  wonderful 
falls  in  the  neighbourhood.  There  is  a  good  livery  connected 
with  the  hotel,  and  visitors  can  be  met  at  any  station. 

Roaring  River  Falls.  Another  name  bestowed  by  the 
Spaniards  upon  Ocho  Rios  was  the  "Bay  of  Waterfalls," 
and  of  the  eight  rivers  which  here  come  plunging  into  the 
sea,  one  is  the  most  wonderful  in  the  island,  if  not  in  the 
world.  This  is  Roaring  River,  a  glimpse  of  which  you  get 
on  the  roadway,  where  palms,  banyans,  mangos,  set  their 
feet  amid  numerous  rills  and  all  together  form  a  veritable 
fairyland.  The  roaring  of  the  falls  can  be  heard  a  long  dis- 
tance away,  but  the  visitor  is  rarely  prepared  for  the  beautiful 
sight  that  greets  the  vision  as  the  Great  Falls  burst  upon 
the  view.  They  are  about  150  feet  high  by  175  to  200  feet  in 
breadth,  and  the  largest  in  the  island,  but  are  so  enclosed 
by  woods,  and  interspersed  as  it  were  with  mounds  of  vege- 
tation, trees  in  groups  and  isolated,  that  they  appear  much 
smaller  than  they  are.  The  noise  they  make,  though,  is  deaf- 
ening, for  the  full  torrent  is  discharged  in  a  myriad  of 
cascades,  "feathery  and  brilliant,  massed  together,  clustered, 


JAMAICA  189 

glancing  at  a  hundred  different  angles,  breaking  into  a 
thousand  foam- jets,  each  curtained  with  an  iridescent  veil 
of  falling  water,  which  seems  to  drip  from  the  branches  of 
the  trees  that  form  the  foreground,  growing  as  they  are 
in  mid-stream." 

The  river  has  a  subterranean  source,  for,  about  two  miles 
from  the  sea,  it  appears  as  a  torrent  out  of  the  limestone 
rock,  never-failing,  always  full  and  tumultuous.  "The  water 
is  full  of  lime  and  silica  in  solution,  and  these  it  deposits 
in  walls  or  layers,  which  invariably  check  and  deflect  its 
onflow,  turning  it  to  the  right  or  the  left.  This  building  up 
of  lime  deposits  is  what  forms  the  cascades.  Sticks  or  other 
matter  left  in  the  water  are  soon  coated  inches  thick  with 
limestone."  There  are  numerous  bathing- pools,  embowered 
in  tropical  trees,  and  the  water  is  cool  and  exceedingly  re- 
freshing. The  shortest  route  from  the  Main  Road  to  the 
falls  is  through  private  ground,  for  which  a  small  fee  is 
charged.  The  White  River  Falls,  in  the  same  region  watered 
by  so  many  rivers,  are  very  beautiful ;  but  Roaring  River 
surpasses  them  all. 

Paradisiacal  St.  Ann's.  Three  or  four  miles  from  Ocho 
Rios,  westward,  the  Bay  of  St.  Ann's  opens  out,  with  a  fine 
harbour  and  a  population  of  about  2,000.  The  town  is  in- 
significant, but  the  parish  in  general  is  one  of  the  most  beau- 
tiful in  the  island.  One  writer  says:  "Earth  has  nothing 
more  lovely  to  display  than  the  pastures  and  pimento  groves 
of  St.  Ann,  nothing  more  enchanting  than  its  hills  and 
vales,  delicious  in  verdure,  and  redolent  with  fragrant  spices. 
Embellished  with  wood  and  water,  from  the  deep  forests 
whence  the  streams  descend  to  the  ocean  in  cascades,  the 
blue  haze  of  the  air  blends  and  harmonises  all  into  beauty." 
Here  is  the  habitat  of  the  native  allspice,  or  pimento,  the 
trees,  with  silvery  stems  and  dark-green  heads  of  glossy 
leaves,  standing  in  groups  on  gentle  slopes  covered  with 
velvety  grass.  The  scent  of  the  ripe  berries  fills  the  air,  and 
one  is  lulled  by  the  hum  of  the  bee  and  the  roar  of  the 
waterfall,  says  a  native  writer.  Graceful  clumps  of  wood- 
land, spreading  ceibas,  and  scarlet-blotched  "broad-leaf" 
crown  the  crests  of  the  undulating  hills. 

St.  Ann  may  be  reached  by  the  drive  over  Mount  Diablo 


igo  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST   INDIES 

from  Ewarton,  by  way  of  Moncague,  which  is  in  this  parish. 
through  a  country  which  "gives  one  the  idea  of  a  bit  of 
the  Derbyshire  Hills."  The  rich  and  fertile  appearance  of 
the  countryside  conveys  to  the  mind,  stronger  than  words 
can  picture  it,  an  idea  of  the  agricultural  resources  of  this 
part  of  the  island.  Fern  Gully  Road  should  be  taken  (which 
will  give  several  miles  of  scenery  unequalled  anywhere  for 
variety  and  charm)  to  Ocho  Rios,  and  thence  the  north  road 
along  the  coast  which  we  are  now  following. 

About  a  mile  to  the  west  of  St.  Ann's  Bay  are  the  remains 
of  the  first  Spanish  settlement  in  Jamaica,  called  by  them 
Sevilla  del  Oro,  which  contained  a  cathedral,  a  monastery, 
etc.,  but  of  which  only  a  few  sculptured  stones  are  left. 
There  are  several  lodging-houses  in  the  vicinity,  and  if  for- 
tunate the  traveller  may  get  accommodations  at  the  planter's 
house  on  the   Seville  estate. 

The  towns  on  the  north  coast  beyond  Ocho  Rios  and  St. 
Ann's  Bay  might  be  better  reached  by  coastal  steamer  than 
by  road ;  but  the  highway  is  good  all  around  the  island. 
About  10  miles  from  St.  Ann's  is  one  other  historic  spot 
connected  with  the  Spanish  occupancy  of  Jamaica :  Runaway 
Bay,  so  called  from  the  fact  that  Don  Arnaldo  Sasi,  after 
his  defeat  at  Rio  Nuevo,  escaped  from  the  island  in  a  canoe 
from  this  little  port.  The  next  port  beyond  is  Dry  Har- 
bour, which  was  called  by  Columbus  Puerto  Biieno,  or  the 
Good  Port,  and  where  he  careened  his  leaky  ship  for  repairs. 
It  is  not  very  attractive,  except  for  its  associations,  and  from 
the  fact  that  near  it  is  a  cavern,  at  Cave  Hall  Pen,  which  is 
of  great  length.  It  contains  two  galleries,  which  expand 
into  grottoes  adorned  with  beautiful  stalactites  and  stalag- 
mites. 

Dry  Harbour  is  the  nearest  port  to  Brown's  Town,  an 
important  inland  centre  of  the  produce  trade  in  coffee  and 
pimento,  with  a  brisk,  business-like  air  about  it,  but  with 
no  particular  attractions.  There  is  a  good  road  from 
Brown's  Town  to  Falmouth,  the  chief  town  in  Trelazvney 
Parish,  which  for  sake  of  variety  might  be  taken  instead  of 
the  coast  road,  as  it  runs  through  a  high  and  healthful  dis- 
trict, inhabited  by  prosperous  natives. 

Falmouth  Port,  which  was  a  shipping  place  for  sugar  in  the 


JAMAICA  191 

olden  days,  has  few  attractions,  the  ground  in  its  immediate 
vicinity  being  low  and  flat.  Its  harbour  is  well  sheltered, 
and  it  contains  a  fine  church  with  chiming  clock,  a  parade- 
ground,  old  barracks,  a  prison,  and  a  court-house  in  which 
are  some  excellent  portraits  of  former  governors  of  the 
island. 

Martha  Brae  is  a  very  picturesque  village  less  than  2  miles 
from  Falmouth,  formerly  occupied  by  the  Spaniards  and 
called  by  them  Melilla.  Near  here  they  put  to  torture  an 
Indian  cacique  who  was  thought  to  possess  secret  knowledge 
of  a  gold  mine,  as  he  wore  golden  ornaments  in  his  ears ; 
but  the  mine  was  never  discovered.  The  Martha  Brae  River 
suddenly  emerges  from  the  base  of  a  limestone  cliflf,  flows 
for  a  mile  or  more  in  great  volume,  then  disappears  under- 
ground, to  reappear  from  a  fissure  in  a  rock,  on  the  road 
to  Maroon  Town.  Few  scenes  surpass  in  quiet  beauty  this 
extraordinary  stream  at  Martha  Brae. 

Santa  Lucea.  Falmouth  is  22  miles  east  of  ]Montego 
Bay  (described  in  the  Jamaica  Railroad  itinerary),  and 
two  fine  roads  connect  these  places,  both  passing  through 
an  interesting  country.  The  most  westerly  parish  on 
the  north  side  is  Hanover,  which  is  also  the  smallest  in 
the  island,  and  separated  from  St.  James  (in  which  Montego 
Bay  is  situated)  by  the  Great  River.  "Crossing  this  river 
over  an  iron  bridge,  the  road  takes  us  on  and  on,  through 
a  repetition  of  tropical  scenery,  changing  and  rechanging 
at  every  turn,  to  a  great  cliff,  where  we  suddenly  come  upon 
the  landlocked  harbour  of  Santa  Lucea,  which  in  some  re- 
spects resembles  that  of  Port  Antonio,  but  is  of  much 
greater  size.  At  the  end  of  the  harbour  is  a  bold  prom- 
ontory from  which  rise  the  gray  walls  and  spire  of  the  old 
church  and  the  square,  solid  buildings  of  the  barracks,  with 
only  the  sky  for  a  background,  while  at  its  extremity  frown 
the  battlements  and  embrasures  of  an  ancient  fort.  An 
amphitheatre  of  hills  frames  this  loveliness  on  three  sides, 
on  the  slopes  of  which,  green  with  patches  of  guinea-grass 
and  cane,  comfortable-looking  houses  are  perched.  The 
whole  picture  is  eloquent  of  peace,  prosperity,  and.  above  all, 
of  health.  For  the  livelong  day  the  pure,  fresh  sea  breeze 
sweeps  across  the  harbour,  untainted  by  dust  or  other  im- 


192  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST  INDIES 

purity;  and  there  are  no  malarious  swamps  to  poison  the 
breath  of  the  land  breeze  that  nightly  brings  refreshing  cool- 
ness from  the  Dolphin  Head  (height  2,000  feet)  that  looms 
up  yonder  to  the  south." 

At  Green  Island,  12  miles  from  Lucea,  we  reach  the  ex- 
treme northwestern  end  of  the  island,  around  which  the 
coast  road  sweeps  through  a  fine  country.  Another  road, 
however,  "cuts  across  lots,"  through  the  finest  grazing  region 
in  the  island,  where,  "but  for  the  great  clumps  of  bamboos 
that  throw  their  shade  over  the  ponds  decked  with  water 
lilies,  and  remind  us  that  we  are  still  in  the  tropics,  the 
sleek  Herefords  and  Shorthorns  grazing  contentedly  on 
fat,  clean  pastures,  bounded  by  gray  stone  walls,  might  de- 
lude us  into  the  belief  that  we  had  suddenly  been  transported 
to  some  more  temperate  region." 

There  are  six  "pens"  (as  these  grazing  farms  are  called 
in  Jamaica)  in  this  district,  each  of  which  possesses  an 
acreage  running  into  the  thousands,  and  which  can  show 
stock  that  would  not  disgrace  any  English  cattle  show.  At 
Shettlewood  Pen  may  be  seen  the  silver-gray  hides  and 
quaint  shapes  of  Zebu  and  Mysore  cattle  imported  from 
India. 

Savanna  la  Mar,  the  chief  town  of  Westmoreland,  the  ex- 
treme southwestern  parish  of  Jamaica,  is  the  shipping  port 
of  a  vast  and  fertile  region,  which  supports  many  old  sugar 
estates.  The  produce  is  floated  down  to  it  on  the  Cabaritta 
River,  one  of  the  two  navigable  streams  of  the  island,  the 
other  being  the  Black  River,  also  on  this  south  coast.  It 
is  the  outlet  of  a  large  logwood  country,  and,  like  Black 
River  settlement,  lies  low  on  the  seashore.  At  the  time 
Port  Royal  was  destroyed,  1692,  Savanna  la  Mar  suffered 
severely,  and  in  1744,  during  a  fierce  hurricane  accompanied 
by  an  earthquake;  it  was  completely  engulfed  by  a  tidal  wave, 
which  "left  not  a  vestige  of  man,  beast  or  habitation  behind." 
Still,  the  inhabitants  cling  to  the  place,  and  it  is,  in  a  sense, 
flourishing,   though   extremely   isolated. 

Black  River  is  the  chief  town  and  seaport  of  St.  Elizabeth 
Parish,  and  lies  about  29  miles  to  the  southeast  of  Savanna 
la  Mar.  It  is  situated  at  the  mouth  of  the  stream  whose 
name  it  bears,  down  which  float  large  quantities  of  logwood 


JAMAICA  193 

and  other  dye  woods.  This  river  is  the  longest  navigable 
stream  in  Jamaica  (as  already  mentioned  in  the  railway 
itinerary  when  crossing  its  headwaters).  It  is  famed  for 
the  sport  it  affords  the  hunter,  especially  in  alligator  shoot- 
ing, but  the  town  itself  has  few  attractive  features.  The 
mouth  of  the  stream  is  spanned  by  an  iron  bridge.  In 
Spanish  times  the  river  was  called  the  Caobona,  from  Caoba 

(mahogany),  with  which  this  region  formerly  abounded. 
St.  Elizabeth  Parish  has  the  largest  area  of  any  in  the 
island,  but  much  of  it  is  low-lying  and  swampy,  though 
fine  grazing  farms  abound,  and  the  rum  distilled  on  its 
estates  has  a  world-wide  reputation.  In  the  north,  where 
the  railroad  crosses  the  parish,  are  several  fine  waterfalls, 
between  Applcton  and  Breadnut  Valley,  while  the  cascades 
of  the  "Y.  S."  River,  which  rises  at  Ipswich,  are  extremely 
beautiful.  In  the  extreme  north  we  find  the  old  ]\Iaroon  town 
of  Accompong,  which  lies  off  the  main  roads  and  can  be 
reached  only  by  a  little-used  trail. 

While  much  of  the  parish  is  unhealthful,  there  are  several 
spots  of  far-famed  salubrity,  especially  in  the  Santa  Cruz 
Mountains  (mentioned  in  the  railway  itinerary),  which 
bisect  the  parish  from  north  to  south,  and  terminate  at  the 
southern  extremity,  on  the  coast,  in  a  precipitous  cliff  known 
as  the  Lover's  Leap.  If  one  can  be  content  with  glorious 
scenery  and  delicious  climate,  then  Malvern,  in  the  Santa 
Cruz  ^lountains,  if  he  be  an  invalid,  should  become  his 
Mecca,  for,  says  an  eminent  physician,  "there  are  few 
places  on  earth  where  natural  beauties  so  combine  with  those 
of  man's  creation  to  please  and  interest  him." 

About  midw  ay  between  Savanna  la  Mar  and  Black  River  is 
the  little  town  of  Blueiields,  once  the  residence  of  Gosse,  the 
British  naturalist,  whose  work  on  the  Birds  of  Jamaica  is  a 
classic.  In  the  adjoining  parish  of  Manchester,  which  is 
bisected  by  Jamaica's  longest  railway,  are  many  interesting 
places,  already  described,  and  also  in  Clarendon,  between 
the  first  named  and  St.  Catherine,  which  contains  Spanish 
Town  and  the  Rio  Cobre. 

Milk  River  Bath.  In  the  district  of  Vere,  southern  ex- 
tremity of  Clarendon  Parish,  is  one  of  Jamaica's  wonderful 
mineral  baths,  situated  on  the  Milk  River,  about  2  miles  from 


194  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST   INDIES 

the  seacoast.  It  is  best  reached  from  Alay  Pfen.  or  Clarendon 
Park  station,  on  the  Jamaica  Railway,  where  conveyance  may 
be  obtained.  There  are  three  lodging-houses  at  the  Bath, 
where  bedroom  and  bath  are  provided  at  40  cents  per  day, 
or  lodgings  with  meals  from  $1  to  $1.50.  The  best  months 
to  visit  are  from  December  to  March,  inclusive.  A  medical 
authority  says  of  the  Milk  River  Bath:  "This  mineral  spring 
is  a  saline  calcic  thermal,  with  temperature  of  92°.  In- 
stances are  innumerable  of  the  cures  efifected  by  it  of  suffer- 
ers from  gout  and  rheumatism.  Many  have  been  carried  into 
it  who  after  three  or  four  baths  have  been  able  to  walk 
about  by  themselves,  and  others  have  left  their  crutches 
behind  for  the  benefit  of  newcomers.  Some  of  these  have 
gone  so  far  as  to  rank  it  superior  to  the  thermal  salines  of 
Homburg,  Wiesbaden,  Kissingen,  and  Bourbonne,  from 
their  own  practical  experience,  so  far  as  gout  is  concerned." 

Besides  this  bath,  there  is  that  of  St.  Thomas  (already  men- 
tioned in  the  north-coast  itinerary),  and  the  old  "Jamaica 
Spa,"  on  a  coffee  estate  called  Silver  Hill,  between  two  and 
three  hours'  ride  from  Gordon  Town.  These  waters,  "un- 
like the  chalybeate  springs  of  Europe,  contain  a  great  deal 
of  alum,  in  which  peculiar  property  they  resemble  the  alum 
springs  of  Virginia,  while  they  contain  a  much  larger  amount 
of  iron  than  most  of  them." 

With  these  three  groups  of  mineral  springs,  containing 
cures  for  almost  every  kind  of  disease  that  man  is  heir  to, 
it  would  seem  that  Jamaica  is  well  provided  for  entertain- 
ing invalids,  as  well  as  robust  pleasure-seekers,  offering,  in 
addition  to  these,  a  delicious  climate,  scenery  of  surpassing 
beauty,  and  the  comforts  of  hotels,  throughout  the  island, 
that  provide  for  every  want,  as  well  as  cater  to  every  taste. 

Sports  and  Pastimes.  Jamaica  vies  with  Barbados  and 
Trinidad  in  race  meetings,  which  are  held  in  Kingston  and 
several  of  the  parishes.  Every  town  of  size  has  its  cricket 
club,  lawn  tennis,  golf,  polo,  and  (in  the  cooler  months) 
baseball  club.  Cycling,  motoring,  rowing  and  yachting  are 
also  much  in  vogue,  while  shooting,  fishing,  botanising  and 
geologising  may  be  pursued  all  the  year  round. 

Shooting  and  Fishing.  While  Jamaica  cannot  be  termed 
a  sportsman's  country,  there  is  yet  much  to  be  found  to  lure 


JAMAICA  195 

one  to  the  woods  and  shores.  The  principal  native  game- 
birds  are  the  blue  pigeon,  baldpate,  ring-tail  pigeon,  and  the 
white-wing;  pea  dove,  white-belly,  and  partridge.  The  three 
first  named  are  strong  of  wing  and  swift  flyers ;  the  white- 
belly  and  partridge  haunt  the  woodland  thickets ;  the  ring- 
tail the  mountain  heights. 

Flocks  of  migratory  birds,  duck,  teal,  snipe,  plover  and 
ortolan  visit  the  island  during  the  fall  and  winter  months, 
sometimes  in  large  numbers.  All  native  birds  are  protected, 
there  being  a  close  season  for  game  birds,  and  some  species, 
which  were  in  danger  of  extinction,  are  protected  all  the 
time.  This  was  necessary  to  preserve  the  bright-plumaged 
birds,  like  the  "hummers,"  etc.,  which  were  hunted  for  their 
skins  and  feathers.  The  mongoose,  an  animal  introduced 
many  years  ago  for  the  purpose  of  exterminating  the  rats 
and  snakes,  has  nearly  extinguished  the  bird-life  also,  and 
the  islanders  are  now  looking  for  something  to  extinguish 
the  mongoose !  There  are  few  mammals  worth  hunting,  and 
no  large  game  in  Jamaica.  The  rivers  offer  great  attractions 
to  the  fiisherman,  says  one  who  has  tested  them  with  rod 
and  line,  the  rapids  yielding  mullet — "an  excellent  substi- 
tute for  trout" — and  the  mouths  of  streams  June-fish,  snook, 
snappers,  and  the  monster  tarpon,  which  often  scales  above 
100  pounds. 

Outlying  Islands.  Distant  from  the  northwestern  ex- 
tremity of  Jamaica  about  180  miles  is  a  group  of  islands 
called  the  Caymans,  which  form  part  of  the  colony.  Of 
these.  Grand  Cayman  is  the  largest,  being  17  miles  in  length 
and  4  to  7  miles  in  breadth.  It  is  low-lying,  but  well 
wooded,  protected  by  coral  reefs,  enclosing  shallow  but 
good  harbours.  The  products  of  the  islands  are  mahogany, 
dye  woods,  cedar  and  other  timber,  pigs,  poultry,  fish  and 
turtle,  and  the  people  weave  baskets,  hats  and  sieves  from 
palm  leaves,  and  make  fans,  fishing-lines,  etc.  These  people 
lead  a  very  primitive  life,  and  are  rarely  visited  by  strangers, 
the  only  means  of  communication  being  sailing  vessels  be- 
tween the  Caymans  and  Jamaica.  All  around  the  islands  are 
vast  fishing-grounds,  and  natural  caves  of  great  extent  ex- 
tend from  the  land  under  the  sea.  These  were  once  the 
abodes  of  pirates  and  buccaneers,  who  preyed  upon  Spanish 


196  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST   INDIES 

ships  and  committed  many  depredations  until  dislodged  b)' 
a  combined  attack  by  ships-of-war. 

The  inhabitants  of  Grand  Cayman  number  about  5.000, 
while  the  combined  population  of  the  other  islands.  Cayman 
Brae  and  Little  Cayman,  is  only  850.  These  islands  are 
about  70  miles  distant  from  Grand  Cayman  and  7  miles 
apart,  each  one  being  about  9  miles  long  by  a  mile  in  breadth. 
They  contain  great  groves  of  cocoanut  trees,  from  the  prod- 
ucts of  which  the  inhabitants  derive  a  comfortable  living. 

Morant  and  Pedro  Cays.  The  Movant  Cays  consist  of 
three  small  islets  33  miles  southeast  of  Morant  Point, 
Jamaica.  They  are  resorted  to  by  sea-birds,  who  during  the 
months  of  March  and  April  cover  them  with  their  eggs,  which 
are  taken  to  Jamaica  by  the  schooner-load.  Turtle  also  re- 
sort here,  as  well  as  at  Pedro  Cays,  four  islets  40  miles  south- 
west of  Portland  Point,  south  coast  of  Jamaica. 

Hotels.  Under  the  "Hotels  Law"  of  1890,  which  guar- 
anteed the  payment  of  interest  upon  capital  invested  in  the 
erection  and  maintenance  of  hotels  of  the  first  class,  several 
fine  structures  were  erected  and  put  in  commission,  which 
proved  a  boon  to  travel,  and  a  great  gain  to  the  island. 
Under  this  law  were  constructed  the  great  Constant  Spring 
Hotel,  near  Kingston;  the  Myrtle  Bank,  on  Harbour  Street; 
the  Queen's  Hotel,  Hey  wood  Street;  the  Rio  Cobre,  at 
Spanish  Town;  the  Moneague  Hotel,  St.  Ann's.  Others 
were  put  up  by  private  enterprise,  so  that  Jamaica  is  better 
equipped  in  this  respect  than  any  other  island  in  the  West 
Indies,   Cuba  alone  excepted. 

The  same  law  (of  1890)  established  a  tariff  which  all  hotels 
built  under  it  must  follow,  as  follows :  Board  and  lodging 
for  one,  per  day,  12s. ;  per  week,  £3  los.  Single  beds,  4s. ; 
double  beds,  6s.  Tea,  coffee,  milk,  or  chocolate,  per  cup, 
6d. ;  with  bread  and  butter,  is.;  toast  and  eggs,  is.  6d. 
Breakfast,  from  2s.  6d. ;  lunch,  from  is.  6d. ;  dinner,  from 
4s.  6d. ;  supper,  2s.  Brandy,  per  bottle,  6s. ;  whiskey,  6s. ; 
old  rum,  5s.;  champagne,  5s.;  sparkling  Moselle,  3s.;  claret, 
IS.  6d. ;  ale,  9d. ;  lager  beer,  9d. ;  single  or  mixed  drinks, 
6d.,  etc.  Boarders'  bills  are  payable  weekly,  and  all  bills 
must  be  settled  in  notes,  silver  or  gold  before  guests  leave 
hotel. 


JAMAICA  197 

JAMAICA  HOTELS 

Bowden.  Peak  View  Cottages.  $3  to  $3.50  per  day ;  10  per 
cent,  discount  by  the  week.  United  Fruit  Company,  pro- 
prietors. 

Castleton  Gardens.  Castleton  Garden  Cottages.  $2.50  per 
day,  $12.50  per  week.     Mrs.  Fuertado.  proprietor. 

Kingston.  Constant  Spring.  $3". 50  to  $5  per  day;  10  per 
cent,  discount  by  the  week.  Elder-Dempster  Steamship  Com- 
pany. 

Kingston.     Knutsford   Park   Hotel.     $2.50   to  $3   per   day; 

10  per   cent,    discount   by   the    week. 

Kingston.  Hamburg-American  Cafe,  107  Harbour  Street. 
Table  d'hote,   also  a   la  carte.     Restaurant  only,    10  a.m.  to 

11  P.M.     Conrad  Simon  &  Co.,  proprietors. 

Kingston.  Marine  Gardens.  Detached  cottages  for  rent, 
partly  furnished.  2  t^  4  bedrooms.  £3  to  i8  per  month. 
J.  J.  G.   Lewis,   manager. 

Malvern.  Malvern  House,  Santa  Cruz  Mountains.  los.  per 
day,  £2  2s.  per  week.     Mrs.  Lawrence,  proprietor. 

Mandei'ille.  Hotel  Mandeville.  American  management. 
$3   up ;   $17  per   week. 

Mandeville.  The  Grove  Llotel.  10  to  12s.  per  day,  £3  los. 
per  week.     H.  England,  proprietor. 

Mandeville.  Newleigh  Lodgings.  9s.  per  day  upward; 
£2  los.  per  week.     Mrs.  T.   AT.  Halliday.  proprietor. 

Moneague.  Moneague  Hotel.  12s.  per  day,  £3  ids.  per 
week.     T.  J.  Sims,  proprietor. 

Montego  Bay.  Harrison's  Hotel.  8s.  per  day,  £1  los. 
per   week. 

Monfpelier.  ^^lontpelier  Hotel.  12s.  per  day,  £3  los.  per 
week.     John  E.   Ellis,  proprietor. 

Port  Antonio.  Titchfield  Hotel.  Ainslie  &  Grabow,  pro- 
prietors. 

St.  Ann's  Bay.  Seville  Private  Hotel.  Mrs.  Harris,  pro- 
prietor.    Rates   from   12s.   per  day. 

St.  Anns  Bay.  Lodging  House,  los.  per  day,  £2  los.  per 
week.     Miss  Ethel  Hart,  proprietor. 

Santa  Criij  Mountains.  Lodgings.  los.  per  day.  Mrs. 
Temple,  proprietor. 

Spanish  Town.  Hotel  Rio  Cobre.  12s.  per  day,  £3  to  £4 
per  week.     T.  J.   Sims,  proprietor. 

History.  The  first  intimation  of  Jamaica  was  conveyed 
to  Christopher  Columbus  when,  in  1494,  he  sighted  its  lofty 
mountains  while  sailing  southward  from  Cuba.  He  landed 
on  its  northern  coast,  probably  at  Dry  Harbour,  but  made 
no  extended  stay  or  exploration.  On  his  last  voyage  to  the 
^Vcst  Indies,   1502-04,  after  a  disastrous  experience  on  the 


198  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST   INDIES 

coast  of  Honduras,  he  drove  his  sinking  vessels  ashore  on 
this  same  north  coast,  and  there  remained  for  a  twelve- 
month, until  rescued  by  an  expedition  sent  from  Haiti.  The 
little  bay  in  which  he  was  for  a  year  "castled  in  the  sea," 
as  his  biographer  terms  it,  is  still  known  as  Don  Christopher s 
Cove,  and  lies  between  St.  Ann's  and  Annotto  Bay. 
After  Columbus  came  Spanish  settlers,  who  first  established 
themselves  at  Sevilla  Nueva,  not  far  from  St.  Ann's ;  then  on 
the  south  coast,  at  Old  Harbour,  which  they  called  Esquivel 
(after  the  commander  sent  out  by  Don  Diego  Columbus 
from  Hispaniola),  and  at  Santiago  dc  la  Vega,  now  known 
as  Spanish  Town,  which  was  founded  in  1520.  The  Spanish 
occupation  lasted  about  150  years,  and  few  remains  exist 
to  tell  of  that  occupancy  save  the  ruins  of  the  church  they 
erected  at  Sevilla  Nueva,  and  an  old  bell  from  Port  Royal, 
which  has  been  preserved  in  the  Institute  of  Jamaica,  at 
Kingston. 

The    English    Occupation.      Many    Spanish   names    still 
adorn  the  map  of  Jamaica,  such  as  Rio  Cobre,  Copper  River; 

Rio  Nuevo,  New  River ;  OcJio  Rios,  Eight  Rivers ; 
1655         Boca   del   Agiia,    now    corrupted    to    "Bog   Walk"; 

Savanna  la  Mar,  Santa  Cruz,  etc.  The  island  was 
wrested  from  the  Spaniards  in  1655  by  the  expedition  sent 
out  by  Cromwell  under  Admiral  Penn  and  General  Venables, 
and  since  then  has  been  rebaptized,  being,  so  far  as  nomen- 
clature goes,  a  veritable  little  England.  A  period  of  tur- 
moil succeeded  the  English  occupation,  for,  as  the  wife  of 
General  Venables  stated  in  her  Journal,  "a  wicked  army 
it  was,  and  sent  out  without  arms  or  provisions."  The  com- 
manders of  the  expedition  were  imprisoned  in  the  Tower 
on  their  return  to  England,  for  it  was  only  by  the  cowardice 
of  the  Spaniards  that  they  were  permitted  to  capture  the 
island,  and  the  first  governor  was  appointed  in  1661.  In 
1664  the  capital  was  established  at  St.  Jago,  or  Spanish 
Town,  and  in  1670  the  island  was  formally  ceded  to  the 
English,  who  fo'und  the  lands  exceedingly  fertile.  Among 
the  individuals  who  visited  Jamaica  in  the  early  colonial 
period,  and  subsequently  became  famous,  was  Sir  Hans 
Sloane,  who  arrived  in  1687.  This  gentleman,  who  has  to 
his  credit  the   founding  of  the  British   Museum,   collected 


JAMAIQ\  199 

800  plants  of  the  island,  and  published  a  book  on  natural 
history,    which   became   a   standard    work. 

The  Destruction  of  Port  Royal.  During  the  last  quarter 
of  the  seventeenth  century  Jamaica,  and  especially  the  town 
of  Port  Royal,  at  the  entrance  of  what  is  now  the 
1692  harbour  of  Kingston,  became  the  headquarters  of 
the  buccaneers,  who  preyed  upon  Spanish  commerce, 
and  brought  hither  such  vast  treasure  that  it  was  called  the 
richest  place  in  the  world.  Here  they  rendezvoused,  after 
every  voyage  returning  to  hold  high  revel  at  Port  Royal,  on 
the  tip  of  the  Palisadoes.  Among  them  was  the  famous 
Morgan,  who  sacked  several  cities  on  the  Spanish  Main 
and  from  Panama  acquired  an  immense  amount  of  treasure, 
most  of  wdiich  he  appropriated  to  himself.  He  was  after- 
ward knighted  by  his  king,  and  became  Governor  of  Jamaica. 
The  career  of  these  pirates  was  rudely  interrupted  on  June  7, 
1692,  when  an  earthquake,  or  earth-slip,  sent  Port  Royal 
sliding  into  the  sea,  and  of  3,000  houses  but  200  remained 
after  the  disaster.  From  this  shock  the  buccaneers  never 
recovered,  and  such  of  the  settlers  as  were  inclined  to  com- 
merce and  agriculture  removed  across  the  bay  to  the  main- 
land, and  there  laid  the  foundations  of  Kingston,  which  has 
since  become  the  capital  and  largest  city  on  the  island. 

Eighteenth  Century.  The  Maroons.  When  the  Spaniards 
came  to  Jamaica  the  island  was  occupied  by  Indians  to  the 
estimated  number  of  half  a  million;  but  few  remained  at  the 
time  of  English  occupation,  and  the  race  long  since  became 
extinct.  They  were  a  gentler  people  than  the  fierce  Caribs 
of  the  Lesser  Antilles,  but  more  daring  and  warlike  than 
the  Arawaks  of  Haiti  and  Porto  Rico.  Such  as  were  cap- 
tured and  forced  to  labour  on  the  plantations  soon  sank 
beneath  the  lash  of  their  Spanish  taskmasters,  and  their 
place  was  supplied  by  negroes  imported  from  Africa.  When 
the  Spaniards  were  driven  out  several  thousands  of  these 
slaves  escaped  to  the  mountain  forests,  where  they  lived  like 
savages,  and  became  the  nucleus  for  that  body  of  wild  blacks 
known  afterward  as  Alaroons — a  word  derived  from  the 
Spanish  cimarron,  literally  a  mountain  runaway. 

In  1730,  1732,  and  1734  these  Maroons  caused  a  great  deal 
of  trouble,  but  were  so  strongly  intrenched  in  their  mountain 


20O  A  GUIDE  TO  .THE  WEST  INDIES 

strongholds  that  expeditions  sent  to  subdue  them  were  nearly- 
annihilated.  Finally,  by  a  treaty,  they  were  ceded  2,500  acres 
of  land  in  perpetuity  and  their  freedom  was  granted  them. 
In  1760  occurred  an  outbreak  among  the  slaves  on  the  planta- 
tions, which  was  quelled  with  great  difficulty.  In  1795  the 
Maroons  declared  war  upon  the  white  people,  and  were  only 
conquered  after  a  year  of  desperate  fighting,  prolonged  sieges 
and  the  employment  of  bloodhounds.  A  treaty  was  nego- 
tiated with  them,  but  more  than  500  were  deported  to  Nova 
Scotia  and  Sierra  Leone. 

Earthquakes  at  intervals  disturbed  various  parts  of  the 
island,  and  in  1744  the  town  of  Savanna  la  Mar  was  de- 
stroyed by  a  'quake  and  tidal  wave.  Several  times  during 
this  century  the  French  and  English  came  into  collision  at 
sea,  in  connection  with  their  chronic  dispute  for  supremacy 
in  the  Caribbean.  In  1702  the  French  Admiral  Du  Casse 
defeated  Admiral  Benbow,  the  British  commander  of  a 
fleet,  and  the  latter  returned  to  Kingston,  where  he  died 
of  his  wounds.  A  memorial  marble  was  placed  in  the  parish 
church,  where  it  still  remains,  though  the  church  was  nearly 
destroyed  by  the  earthquake  of  1907. 

In  1782  Admiral  Rodney  having  won  the  great  victory  over 
De  Grasse,  by  which  Jamaica  was  saved  from  invasion  by 
combined  French  and  Spanish  forces,  a  magnificent  marble 
memorial  of  the  event  was  erected  at  Spanish  Town,  where 
it  may  still  be  seen.  The  Jamaicans  were  in  sympathy  with 
the  revolted  colonists  of  America  during  the  War  of  the 
Revolution,  and  memorialised  the  British  Government  for 
greater  freedom  of  trade ;  but  their  loyalty  held  them  to  the 
mother  country,  despite  the  allurements  of  closer  commercial 
relations  with  the  United  States. 

Nineteenth  Century.  This  century  is  noted  for  the  con- 
tinuous development  of  Jamaica — at  least  until  the  emanci- 
pation of  the  slaves,  in  1838 — and  especially  for  the  increase 
of  its  population.  Large  sugar  plantations  had  been  estab- 
lished, and  the  island  became  famous  for  its  rum,  ginger, 
allspice,  and  latterly  for  its  oranges  and  bananas.  The 
abolition  of  slavery  had  the  same  mournful  effect  as  in  all 
the  islands,  for,  without  dependable  labour,  the  plantations 
could  not  be  worked,  and  thus  most  of  them  fell  to  ruin. 


M    -"s^^.*- 


o 


•y:-•.:^: 


JAMAICA  201 

Next  to  Barbados,  the  favourite  West  Indian  island  with 
the  British,  many  Englishmen  made  the  voyage  to  Jamaica, 
and  many  became  settlers  there,  allured  by  its  delightful 
climate  and  wide  range  of  agricultural  resources.  Among 
others  who  have  left  their 'imprint  upon  the  island's  chron- 
icles, the  author  of  Tom  Cringle's  Log,  Michael  Scott,  is 
well  known.  He  resided  in  the  island  from  1806  to  1822, 
except  for  an  interval  in  Glasgow,  where,  later,  he  wrote  the 
famous  Log,  which  first  appeared  in  Blackzvood's  Magazine. 

A  valuable  contributor  to  Jamaican  literature  of  the  sub- 

tantial  sort  was  Philip  Henry  Gosse,  who  was  here  in 
1844.  three  years  later  published  his  interesting  Birds  of 
Jamaica,  and  in  185 1  his  Naturalist's  Sojourn.  A  long-time 
resident  of  Jamaica  was  its  local  historian,  Bryan  Edwards, 
whose  work,  though  vastly  overrated  by  his  contemporaries, 
is   an    important   contribution   to   historical   knowledge. 

First  Railway  and  Steamship  Line.  The  first  railway  in 
Jamaica  was  opened  in  1845,  and  extended  from  Kingston 
to  Angels,  north  of  Spanish  Towui,  about  15  miles.  Nearly 
forty  years  elapsed  before  it  was  continued  to  its  original 
destination,  Montego  Bay,  at  the  extreme  northwest  of  the 
island,  a  distance  of  113  miles.     This  was  in  1894,  and  two 

-ears  later  the  line  connecting  Kingston  with  Port  Antonio 
was  completed,  thus  uniting  the  north  and  south  coasts  and 
traversing  more  than  three-fourths  of  the  most  fertile  coun- 
try in  the   island. 

A  line  of  mail  steamers  was  subsidised  to  ply  between 
Kingston  and  New  York  in  i860,  and  in  1868  the  fruit 
trade  of  Jamaica  received  its  stimulus'  from  the  establish- 
ment of  the  United  Fruit  Company's  line  between  Port 
Antonio  and  Boston,  subsequently  extended  to  the  principal 
Atlantic  ports  of  the  United  States.  The  first  steamship 
line  to  England,  the  old  and  well-known  Royal  Mail,  was 
established  in  1842,  and  has  ever  since  continued  its  service 
between  the  island  and  its  "mother  land." 

In  1865  occurred  the  first  important  outbreak  of  the  blacks 
and  coloured  people  since  emancipation,  when,  at  Morant 
Bay.  in  the  parish  of  St.  Thomas,  a  mob  of  some  hundreds, 
armed  with  cutlasses,  clubs,  and  muskets,  entered  the  square 
in  front  of  the  court-house  and  declared  for  "war."     The 


202  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST   INDIES 

cnstos  and  magistrates  of  the  parish  were  butchered  in  cold 
blood,  and  all  the  officers  of  the  local  volunteers  who  op- 
posed the  mob  were  taken  and  killed.  Martial  law  was 
.immediately  proclaimed,  and  troops  dispatched  to  the  dis- 
affected district.  The  chief  agitator,  G.  W.  Gordon,  a  planter, 
merchant,  and  political  leader,  was  arrested,  tried  by  court 
martial,  and  hanged,  together  with  his  accomplices.  The 
then  governor,  Edward  John  Eyre,  was  severely  censured 
and  recalled  for  proceeding  to  extreme  measures ;  but  never- 
theless a  Crown  government  was  established  under  his  suc- 
cessor, by  which  the  people's  liberties  were  restricted  and 
th$  executive  head  given  almost  despotic  power. 

Importation  of  Coolies.  While  the  blacks  of  Jamaica 
are  fairly  reliable  as  workers,  they  are  independent  as  think- 
ers, and  have  reasoned  out  to  their  own  satisfaction  that 
in  a  land  where  fuel  is  not  needed  except  to  cook  with, 
nor  clothing  except  for  covering,  it  is  worse  than  foolish 
to  work  more  than  is  absolutely  necessary.  Four  or  five 
days'  labour  supplies  them  with  enough  to  last  the  week 
through,  so  why  should  they  labour  the  remainder  of  the 
week?  They  see  no  reason  for  it,  hence  they  have  acquired 
a  .reputation  for  unreliability.  To  take  their  places  on  the 
plantations  East  Indian  coolies  were  first  imported  in  1842, 
but  the  time  was  not  then  ripe  for  their  permanent  em- 
ployment, and  it  was  not  until  1S68  that  the  present  system 
of  indentured  service  was  established.  The  coolies  proved 
a  palliative,  but  not  a  panacea,  for  they,  too,  as  soon  as 
their  terms  expired,  hied  themselves  to  their  own  little  hold- 
ings, which  they  had  purchased  with  their  savings,  and 
refused  to  labour  for  hire  unless  compelled.  They  have 
helped  solve  the  labour  problem ;  but  they  have  not,  ap- 
parently, proved   so   successful  here   as   in  Trinidad. 

Jamaica's  Exposition.  In  1891  Jamaica  held  an  exhibi- 
tion illustrative  of  its  natural  products  and  manufactures, 
which  was  a  most  creditable  showing  and  attracted  attention 
to  the  island,  though  it  was  not  a  success  financially.  It. 
however,  measured  the  advance  made  in  the  hundred  years 
then  past,  and  gave  assurance  to  other  countries  that  even  an 
island  mainly  populated  by  blacks  could  be  so  governed  by 
whites   as   to   evoke   something   worthy  of   exhibition.     If, 


JAMAICA  203 

however,  some  of  the  blacks  were  stimulated  to  transitory 
exertion  by  this  Exposition,  they  soon  returned  to  their 
former  apathetic  indifference,  and  the  result  cannot  be  said 
to  have  equalled  what  had  been  anticipated  by  its  promoters. 

Kingston's  Terrible  Disasters.  It  would  seem  that  the 
city  of  Kingston,  capital  and  chief  city  of  Jamaica,  was 
doomed  to  disaster  from  its  very  beginnings.  Founded  as 
the  result  of  the  destruction  of  Port  Royal  in  1692,  it  has 
suffered  several  times  during  the  period  of  its  existence 
from  earthquakes,  fires,  and  cyclones.  The  continued  though 
gradual  subsidence  of  the  sloping  plain  upon  which  it  was 
built  (though  protected  Jby  the  Palisadoes  and  the  inter- 
vening harbour  from  the  sea)  has  long  portended  the  fate 
that  overtook  Port  Royal ;  but  the  many  and  manifest  ad- 
vantages of  its  situation,  and  its  immense  commerce,  have 
kept  its  inhabitants  true  to  the  choice  of  their  ancestors,  who 
found  it  unsurpassed  for  the  rapid  accumulation  of  wealth. 
Although  not  considered  within  the  "hurricane  area"  of  the 
West  Indies,  it  has  frequently  felt  the  effect  of  those  tropi- 
cal cyclones,  wdiich  have  repeatedly  devastated  the  fairest 
islands  in  the  Caribbean  Sea.  In  the  year  1880 — to  go  no  far- 
ther back — a  cyclone  passed  over  the  eastern  end  of  the  island. 
At  Kingston  alone  thirty  persons  were  killed,  and  vast  dam- 
age done  to  houses  and  wharves,  most  of  the  latter  in 
Kingston  harbour  having  been  destroyed.  In  December, 
1882.  a  calamitous  fire  devastated  an  area  of  40  acres,  de- 
stroying nearly  600  buildings,  to  the  value  of  $1,000,000. 

On  August  II.  1903.  occurred  one  of  the  most  disastrous 
hurricanes  that  Jamaica  has  ever  experienced,  with  wide- 
spread destruction  both  to  buildings  and  growing  crops,  espe- 
cially in  the  banana-growing  districts  tributary  to  Port  An- 
tonio, which  itself  was  very  seriously  injured.  Since  rebuilt, 
and  now  more  attractive  than  ever,  it  is  the  most  flourish- 
ing of  Jamaican  towns,  and  continues  to  be  the  fruit-trade 
centre  of  the  island's  commerce  with  the  United  States.  In 
the  districts  adjacent,  however,  cocoa  and  pimento  groves 
were  uprooted,  or  prostrated  to  the  ground,  and  damage  done 
to  the  extent  of  more  than  $10,000,000. 

The  Earthquake  of  1907.  Although  but  2  per  cent,  of 
Kingston's    population    is    white,    the    remainder    being    of 


204  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST   INDIES 

African  descent,  more  or  less  direct,  that  small  portion  is 
imbued  with  energy,  courage,  and  determination  to  an  .ex- 
tent unsurpassed  by  any  body  of  citizenry  in  the  world.  This 
fact  has  been  proven  by  their  undaunted  front  against  re- 
peated reverses  of  an  elemental  character  that  m.ight  have 
crushed  the  spirits  of  a  people  less  sanguine  than  they,  and 
especially  in  their  recovery  from  the  terrible  disaster  of  1907. 

It  was  on  January  14th,  at  3.30  in  the  afternoon,  that 
Kingston  felt  the  first  shock  of  an  earthquake  similar  to 
that  which  had  then  recently  devastated  both  San  Francisco 
and  Valparaiso. 

"The  new  year  was  but  two  weeks  old  and  the  outlook  was 
rosy — the  golden  sun  of  prosperity  had  risen  above  the 
horizon — and  the  people  looked  ahead  with  cheerful  hearts. 
Inside  of  a  minute  later  the  scene  had  changed — the  black 
cloud  of  appalling  disaster  had  overshadowed  the  sun  of 
prosperity,    and    Kingston   was    utterly   ruined. 

"Of  the  earthquake  itself  no  one  who  passed  through  that 
dread  thirty  seconds — seconds  that  seemed  an  eternity  of 
time — can  ever  forget  that  frightful,  nerve-racking  shake ;  the 
thunderous  sound  of  falling  walls  and  the  black  dust-pall 
that  immediately  enveloped  the  doomed  city.  Those  who 
escaped  alive  from  the  chaos  are  unanimous  in  declaring 
that  they  fully  believed,  while  the  stricken  city  was  tum- 
bling about  their  ears,  that  the  end  of  the  world  had  come! 
This  refers  especially  to  commercial  Kingston;  for  while 
thousands  of  residences  fell  in  the  city  and  suburbs,  but 
comparatively  few  people  were  killed  in  the  latter. 

"The  earthquake  was  heralded  by  an  awful  stillness,  lasting 
about  a  minute.  Then,  with  a  low  moan,  which  almost 
instantly  rose  to  a  loud  roar,  the  earth  oscillated  violently 
from  the  south.  The  succeeding  motion  can  best  be  de- 
scribed by  the  word  circular,  for  the  earth  spun  around  like 
a  top  during  four  or  five  seconds  and  then  stopped  with  a 
frightful  jerk.  The  succeeding  oscillation  was  from  the 
west,  and  this  was  followed  by  six  or  seven  savage  shocks, 
like  a  dog  shaking  a  rat.  The  works  of  puny  man  could 
not  stand  the  assault  of  nature,  and  Kingston  was  wrecked. 

"After  the  shock  came  the  fire,  which  destroyed  the  ruins 
of  commercial  Kingston,  and  all  the  stock  in  the  stores.     It 


JAMAICA  205 

was  truly  a  dreadful  spectacle,  that  volcano  of  seething, 
roaring,  devouring  flames ;  but  the  stricken  populace  hardly 
noticed  it,  so  completely  had  the  earthquake  cowed  their 
spirits.  Thousands  upon  thousands  who  had  fled  to  the 
open  Race  Course  stood  there  in  silence,  or  discussed  the 
cataclysm  in  awed  whispers ;  for  the  thing  was  too  great 
for  them.  The  sun  set  and  the  moon  rose  on  a  sea  of  blood, 
while  the  terrified  people — those  who  had  not  fled  the  city — 
sat  down  through  that  terrible  Monday  night  watching  the 
ruddy  glow  to  the  south,  and  wishing  that  the  day  would 
dawn.  It  was  truly  a  night  of  prayer,  prayer  to  the  Almighty 
that  there  would  be  no  recurrence  of  the  terrible  shock. 
The  long-looked-for  dawn  at  last  arrived,  but  the  swaying 
of  the  earth  and  the  tremors  still  continued ;  and  for  a 
week,  in  fact,  persisted,  though  with  less  force  and 
frequency.    .    .    . 

"Such,  in  brief,  is  the  story  of  the  cataclysm  that  over- 
whelmed the  city  of  Kingston.  It  has  been  wiped  out;  but 
it  is  certain  that  the  energetic  men  who  helped  build  up  its 
greatness — though  many,  it  is  true,  were  lost  in  the  great 
disaster — will  at  once  start  to  rebuild  a  greater  Kingston. 
Commerce  has  been  wiped  out;  but  energy  and  enterprise 
will  restore  it  on  a  grander  scale!"* 

The  fire  that  consumed  the  city  started  in  Harbour  Street 
and  raced  through  it  like  a  whirlwind,  causing  probably 
a  greater  loss  of  life  than  the  earthquake.  More  than  a 
thousand  lives  were  lost,  and  the  entire  business  portion 
of  the  city  was  consumed,  while  of  the  dwelling  houses 
only  2  per  cent,  remained  intact.  Of  those  that  withstood 
the  earthquake  shocks,  it  was  found  the  most  resistant  were 
either  of  the  frailest  materials  or  built  of  iron  and  cement, 
for  structures  of  brick  went  down  like  rows  of  cards. 

Surprised  as  they  were  by  the  suddenness  of  the  disaster, 
the  surviving  citizens  were  at  work  within  an  hour  of  the 
first  shock  succouring  the  wounded  and  gathering  up  the 
dead.     The   evil   element  also   was   not  slow   to  avail   itself 

♦This  description  is  taken  from  the  Jamaica  Daily  Telegraph  of 
January  22,  1907,  the  first  issue  subsequent  to  the  earthquake.  It  is 
given  by  an  eye-witness  and  a  sufferer,  who  yet  says  :  "  We  have  all  to 
face  the  situation  with  whatever  courage  and  resolution  we  can  sum- 
mon to  our  aid  !  " 


2o6  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST  INDIES 

of  the  opportunity,  and  looters  were  rampant  until  arrested, 
in  some  (too  rare)  instances  shot  down  in  their  tracks. 
Bodies  of  troops  were  organised,  who  helped  to  keep  the 
rioters  at  bay ;  but  as  the  telegraphic  wires  were  down 
and  the  cables  interrupted,  it  was  not  until  the  day  after 
the  'quake  and  fire,  on  Tuesday,  that  the  dire  news  was  sent 
abroad  and  outside  assistance  started  for  the  stricken  city. 
It  'happened  that  there  were  no  British  warships  in  the 
harbour  at  the  time,  and  the  first  to  arrive  were  American, 
under  command  of  Rear-Admiral  Davis,  who,  with  the 
Indiana,  the  Missouri,  and  the  torpedo-boat  destroyer 
Whipple,  steamed  over  from  Guantanamo,  Cuba,  as  soon  as 
the  tidings  w-ere  received.  As  some  of  the  incidents  that 
followed  were  of  a  nature  too  delicate  to  handle  in  a  book  of 
this  character,  the  narration  already  referred  to  in  the  local 
newspaper,  the  Jamaica  Daily  Telegraph,  will  be  followed : 
"No  sooner  had  the  fleet  anchored  than  Rear-Admiral 
Davis  communicated  with  the  governor  and  placed  his  sur- 
geons and  men  at  the  disposal  of  the  authorities,  to  assist 
in  policing  the  city.  A  large  quantity  of  medical  stores  was 
landed,  as  w^ell  as  a  surgeon  and  six  other  medical  men. 
The  offer  of  the  Americans  to  assist  in  policing  the  city 
was  not  accepted ;  but  the  naval  men,  however,  took  their 
'tents  ashore  and  erected  them  in  the  Public  Gardens,  to 
accommodate  some  of  the  homeless  ones.  .  .  .  On  Thursday 
the  prisoners  in  the  penitentiary  were  in  an  ugly  mood,  the 
conduct  of  some  of  them  bordering  on  mutiny.  They  could 
not  be  got  into  their  cells,  and  consequently  it  was  necessary 
to  send  the  United  States  battleship  Indiana  to  an  anchorage 
off  the  penitentiary.  An  armed  party  of  76  men  was 
landed,  and  half  an  hour  later  the  prisoners. were  locked  up 
in  their  cells,  the  presence  of  the  military  men  having  sufficed 
for  this  purpose.  Later  in  the  evening  the  Indiana  returned 
to  her  former  anchorage,  having  already  embarked  all  the 
American  visitors  to  the  island.  On  Thursday  dangerous 
walls  were  taken  down,  American  sailors  taking  a  prom- 
inent part  in  the  work.  .  .  .  On  Friday  afternoon  the 
United  States  gunboat  Yankton,  tender  to  Admiral  Davis's 
fiagship,  arrived  in  Kingston  harbour  from  Guantanamo. 
On  Saturday  afternoon  the  other  three  ships  sailed  for  Cuba. 


JAMAICA  207 

"It  was  the  original  intention  of  the  American  commander 
to  spend  at  least  ten  days  here;  but  owing  to  misunder- 
standings, which  culminated  in  a  somewhat  undignified  cor- 
respondence between  the  governor  and  Admiral  Davis,  the 
latter  decided  to  leave  that  afternoon.  ...  In  effect  his 
Excellency  the  governor  told  Admiral  Davis  that  he  had  not 
been  invited  to  come  to  Kingston,  was  not  ivanted  there, 
and  could  sail  as  soon  as  he  pleased !  ...  In  view  of  the 
magnificent  work  done  by  the  American  sailors,  when  local 
labourers  were  hanging  back,  in  removing  debris  and  re- 
covering the  dead,  it  is  most  regrettable  that  any  ill-feeling 
was  created,  for  that  feeling  wnll  be  shared  by  all  the 
American  people  and  by  millions  of  Englishmen  at  home !" 

"We  publish  with  profound  regret"  [the  Telegraph  con- 
tinues] "copies  of  letters  that  passed  between  his  Excellency 
the  governor  and  Rear-Admiral  Davis,  of  the  American 
squadron.  Our  regret  extends  only  to  the  governor's  letter ; 
for  that  of  the  admiral  is  courteous  and  friendly  in  tone, 
and  absolutely  no  exception  can  be  taken  to  its  style. 

"It  would  appear  that  when  the  admiral  visited  his  Excel- 
lency at  Headquarter  House  immediately  after  the  arrival 
of  the  squadron.  Sir  J.  A.  Swettenham  requested  that  the 
ordinary  salute  should  be  dispensed  wath  when  he  made  the 
return  visit.  The  admiral's  letter  shows  that,  through  some 
mistake  in  transmitting  his  orders,  the  salute  was  fired  when 
his  Excellency  was  leaving  the  flagship.  This  seems  to 
have  given  offence  to  his  Excellency,  who  caused  his  dis- 
pleasure, either  by  verbal  message  or  by  letter,  to  be  com- 
municated to  Admiral  Davis.  The  rest  of  the  correspondence 
speaks  for  itself: 

"  *U.  S.  S.  Missouri, 
"  'Kingston,  Jamaica.  January  17.  1907. 
"  'My  dear  Governor  :  I  beg  that  you  will  accept  my  apology 
for  the   mistake   of   the   salute   this   afternoon.      My   orders 
were  misunderstood,  and  the  disregard  of  your  wishes  was 
due   to    a   mistake    of   the    transmission    of   order.      I    trust 
that  this   apparent  disregard  of   your  wishes  may  be  over- 
looked. 
"  T  landed  working  parties  from  both  ships  on  shore  to-day 


2o8  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST  INDIES 

to  aid  in  wrecking  and  clearing  away  the  ruins  in  the  streets 
and  buildings.  I  propose  to  land  parties  to-morrow  morn- 
ing for  the  same  purpose,  unless  you  expressly  desire  me  not 
to  do  so.  I  think  that  there  is  a  great  deal  that  can  be 
done  in  the  way  of  assistance  to  private  individuals  without 
interfering  with  the  forces  of  yourself  and  the  government 
officials,  and  as  my  only  object  in  being  here  is  to  render 
such  assistance  as  I  can,  I  trust  that  you  will  justify  me  in 
this  matter  for  the  cause  of  common  humanity. 

"  T  had  a  patrol  of  six  men  on  shore  to-da3%  to  guard 
and  secure  the  archives  of  the  United  States  Consulate, 
together  with  a  working  party  of  ten  men  to  clear  away 
the  wreckage.  This  party,  after  their  work  at  the  Consulate 
was  done,  assisted  the  general  working  party  in  the  streets, 
and  caught  thieves  and  recovered  from  them  a  safe  belonging 
to  Milke  Brothers'  jewellery  store,  valued  at  about  $5,000. 
From  this  I  judge  that  the  police  surveillance  of  the  city  is 
not  adequate  for  the  protection  of  private  property. 

"  'Actuated  by  the  same  motive,  viz.,  that  of  common  hu- 
manity, I  shall  direct  the  medical  officers  of  my  squadron  to 
make  such  efforts  as  lie  in  their  power  to  aid  outlying  cases 
of  distress,  which  would  not  perhaps  come  under  the  obser- 
vation and  treatment  of  your  medical  officers. 

"  T   shall   have   the   pleasure   of  meeting  you   at   the   hour 
appointed,    viz.,    10   o'clock,    at    Headquarter   House,   and    I 
trust  you  will  approve  my  action   in   these  matters. 
"  T  am,  with  high  respect, 

"  'Your  obedient  servant, 

'"(Sgd.)     C.H.Davis, 
"'Rear-Admiral   U.  S.  Navy,  Commanding 
Detached  Squadron.' 

"The  governor  replied  as  follows : 

"  'Headquarter  House, 
"  'Kingston,  January   18,    1907. 
"  'Dear  Admiral  Davis  :  I  thank  you  very  much  for  your 
kind  letter  of  the  17th   (delivered  to  me  this  morning),  for 
your  kind  call,  and   for   all  assistance  you  have  given  and 
have  offered  to  give  us. 


JAMAICA  209 

"  'While  I  most  fully  and  heartily  appreciate  your  very 
generous  offers  of  assistance,  I  feel  it  my  duty  to  ask  you 
to  re-embark  your  working  party  and  all  parties  which  your 
kindness  has  prompted  you  to  land. 

"  'If,  in  consideration  of  the  American  vice-consul's  assidu- 
ous attention  to  his  family  at  his  country  house,  the  Ameri- 
can Consulate  may  need  guarding,  in  your  opinion  (he  was 
present  and  it  was  unguarded  an  hour  ago),  I  have  no  objec- 
tion to  your  detailing  a  force  for  the  sole  purpose  of  guard- 
ing it,  but  that  party  must  not  have  firearms  or  anything 
more  offensive  than  clubs  or  staves  for  their  function. 

"  'I  find  your  working  party  this  morning  helping  Mr.  Cross- 
well  to  clean  his  store ;  i\Ir.  Crosswell  is  delighted  that 
his  work  is  done  without  cost  to  himself,  and  if  your 
Excellency  were  to  remain  long  enough  I  am  sure  almost  the 
whole  of  the  private  owners  would  be  glad  of  the  services 
of  the  navy  to  save  them  expense. 

"  'It  is  no  longer  a  question  of  humanity;  all  the  dead  died 
days  ago,  and  the  work  of  giving  them  burial  is  merely  one 
of  convenience. 

"  'I  should  be  glad  to  accept  delivery  of  the  safe  which  the 
alleged  thieves  were  in  possession  of  from  Milke's  store. 
The  American  vice-consul  has  no  knowledge  of  it.  The 
store  is  close  to  a  sentry  post,  and  the  officer  in  charge  of 
the  post  professes  profound  ignorance  of  the  incident ;  but 
there  is  still  on  the  premises  a  large  safe,  which  was  opened 
both  by  fire  and  by  other  means. 

"  'I  believe  the  police  surveillance  of  no  city  is  adequate 
for  the  protection  of  private  property.  I  may  remind  your 
Excellency  that  not  long  ago  it  was  discovered  that  thieves 
had  lodged  in  and  pillaged  the  house  of  a  New  York  mil- 
lionaire during  his  absence  for  the  summer;  but  this  fact 
would  not  have  justified  a  British  admiral  in  landing  an 
armed   party   in   assisting  the   New   York   police. 

"  'I  have  the  honour  to  be,  with  profound  gratitude  and 
highest   respect, 

"  'Your  obedient  servant, 

"'(Sgd.)     Alexander  Swettenham, 

"  'Governor.' 


210  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST   INDIES 

"On  Saturday  morning,  by  appointment,  Rear-Admiral 
Davis,  accompanied  by  some  members  of  his  staff,  called  at 
Headquarter  House  at  lo  o'clock  to  take  formal  leave  of 
the  governor.  When  he  arrived  at  the  Beeston  Street  gate 
he  accosted  Air.  Bourne,  the  colonial  secretary,  who  was 
standing  near  by,  and  asked  if  the  governor  had  arrived. 
Mr.  Bourne  nonchalantly  gave  an  answer  in  the  negative, 
but  he  did  not  ask  the  admiral  to  step  into  the  office,  nor 
did  he  offer  him  a  chair.  For  fully  ten  minutes  the  admiral 
remained  standing  near  the  gate;  and  then  he  once  more 
addressed  Mr.  Bourne  in  words  to  the  following  effect : 

"  *I  have  called,  sir,  by  appointment,  to  say  good-bye  to  the 
governor ;  but  evidently  some  business  has  detained  him,  and 
I  cannot  remain  any  longer.  Will  you  be  good  enough  to 
say  to  his  Excellency  that  I  called,  and  that  I  now  say 
good-bye  to  him?  And  will  you  also  tell  him  something 
that  I  intended  to  say  to  him  personally?  I  was  sent  here 
to  render  all  the  assistance  in  my  power.  I  am  glad  to 
know  that  no  assistance  is  required.  I  am  also  glad  to 
know  that  you  have  abundant  supplies  for  the   suffering.' 

"  'Oh,  yes,'  said  Mr.  Bourne  calmly,  'we  have  plenty  of 
supplies.' 

"  That  being  so,'  continued  the  admiral,  'I  shall,  if  we 
meet  the  supply  ship  Celtic,  which  is  now  on  its  way  here 
with  a. large  supply  of  beef,  foodstuffs  and  other  necessaries, 
the  personal  gift  of  President  Roosevelt  to  the  distressed 
people  of  Kingston,  order  that  vessel  to  return  to  Cuba.* 

"  'All   right,'   rejoined   Mr.   Bourne. 

"  'And  I  shall  also  see  that  the  supplies  which  I  have 
landed  on  the  wharf  here  are  instantly  taken  back  to  my 
ships,'  said  the  admiral. 

"  'Very  well,'  replied  Mr.  Bourne. 

"The  admiral  then  said  good-bye  and  turned  toward  the 
street.  At  that  moment  the  governor  rode  up  to  the  gate, 
and  the  admiral  and  he  went  into  his  Excellency's  private 
room  for  a  few  minutes.  What  transpired  between  them 
cannot  be  told.  But  the  governor  accompanied  the  admiral 
to  his  carriage  and  was  heard  to  say :  'I  assure  you  it  is 
altogether  unnecessary.'     The  admiral  then  drove  off." 

This   episode   threatened   to  become   of   international    im- 


JAMAICA  211 

portance,  but  after  the  ferment  had  subsided  Governor 
Swettenham  resigned  his  office  (in  April.  1907),  and  nothing 
came  of  it  more  than  great  inconvenience  to  the  people  of 
Jamaica,  who,  by  his  injudicious  action,  were  deprived  of 
supplies  and  assistance,  of  which  they  were  in  dire  need. 
They  were  equal,  however,  to  the  emergency,  and  showed 
themselves  possessed  of  a  resiliency  not  generally  attributed 
to  dwellers  in  tropical  regions. 

An  individual  instance  of  push  and  enterprise  is  known 
to  the  writer — that  of  a  young  man  in  business  in  Harbour 
Street,  whose  establishment  was  destroyed  and  whose  home 
was  wrecked;  though  fortunately  without  loss  of  life.  He 
first  saw  his  family  safely  housed  in  a  suburb,  then  returned 
to  the  city  and  began  to  clear  away  the  ruins  of  his  store. 
In  a  few  days  he  had  unearthed  most  of  his  goods  spared  by 
the  fire,  and  a  week  after  the  'quake,  in  the  first  issue  of 
the  Telegraph,  he  had  a  two-column  advertisement  adjuring 
the  people  to  "follow  the  crowds  into  the  new  store  of 
MacNish,  Limited!" 

The  same  spirit  seems  to  have  animated  all  the  white  inhab- 
itants of  Kingston,  as  voiced  in  the  first  editorial  written 
and  published  after  the  fire :  "To  all  the  sufferers  we  give 
this  advice:  'Quit  ye  like  men.  and  be  strong.'  The  present 
position  may  be  deplorable,  and  the  outlook  very  dishearten- 
ing. But  while  there  is  life  there  is  hope  and  opportunity ; 
and  those  who  are  great  and  steadfast  in  resolve  are  able 
to  achieve  great  and  noble  work.  All  is  not  lost,  and  the 
people  of  Jamaica  are  surely  as  able  to  rise  to  the  occasion 
as  the  inhabitants  of  California  and   Chile !" 

More  than  a  thousand  lives  were  lost,  including  some 
visiting  Englishmen,  who  had  come  to  attend  the  West 
Indian  Agricultural  Conference,  which  was  at  that  time  in 
session.  It  had  been  opened  by  the  president.  Sir  Daniel 
Morris,  in  an  eloquent  speech,  and  a  Mr.  Bovell.  of  Dem- 
erara,  was  reading  a  paper  when  the  first  shock  came.  "He 
stopped  instantly,  and  for  fully  five  seconds  every  eye  was 
turned  toward  the  ceiling,  which  during  those  tenable  mo- 
ments seemed  to  appear  to  the  horror-stricken  company 
below  to  have  been  suddenly  taken  possession  of  by  a 
regiment  of  soldiers,  engaged  in  firing  a  feu  de  joie.    Then, 


212  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST   INDIES 

with  a  horrible  roaring  and  crackling  sound,  the  massive 
brick  structure  rocked  with  terrific  violence  from  side  to 
side,  and  with  a  frightful  jerk  came  to  a  standstill.  A  second 
or  two  before  the  earthquake  ceased  the  delegates  and  visitors 
found  their  feet  and  with  one  accord  made  for  the  door 
leading  to  Hanover  Street — to  gaze  upon  dire  ruin  on  every 
hand." 
The  'quake  indulged  in  many  antics  and  freaks,  judging 
from  the  remains  in  its  path,  in  one  instance  tearing  out 
only  one  side  of  a  house  and  leaving  the  other  walls  standing, 
with  the  rooms  exposed ;  in  another,  opening  a  structure 
from  side  to  side  and  leaving  the  front  intact.  It  laid  hold 
of  a  statue  of  Queen  Victoria,  standing  at  the  King  Street 
entrance  of  the  Garden,  and  waltzed  her  a  quarter  round 
on  her  pedestal.  There  she  was  discovered,  after  the  shocks 
had  passed,  as  serene  and  dignified  as  before,  but  gazing  in 
a  different  direction  !* 

*For  the  general  views  of  Jamaica,  the  publishers  are  indebted  to 
the  well-known  Brennan's  Studio,  17  East  Street,  Kingston,  which 
received  a  gold  medal  for  high-class  work  from  the  Crystal  Palace 
Exhibition,  1905;  and  to  the  General  Manager  of  the  United  Fruit' 
Company  of  Boston.  The  earthquake  views  are  from  Mr.  A.  Sylvester 
Taylor,  New  York,  who  has  made  a  specialty  of  tropical  photography 
for'more  than  thirty  years. 


SANTO  DOMINGO 

General  Description.  The  island  of  Santo  Domingo  and 
Haiti  is  commandingly  situated  in  the  midst  of  the  Antillean 
Archipelago,  between  the  Atlantic  Ocean  and  the  Caribbean 
Sea.  It  is  about  28,000  square  miles  in  area,  of  which  two- 
thirds  pertains  to  the  Dominican  Republic  and  one-third 
to  the  Haitian.  It  is  the  most  mountainous  island  of  the 
West  Indies,  and  contains  the  highest  peaks,  for  Monte  Tina, 
of  its  central  cordillera,  is  nearly  11,000  feet  in  altitude.  Its 
longitudinal  axis  is  the  Cordillera  of  the  Cibao,  in  which 
most  of  its  rivers  have  their  origi^i,  but  parallel  with  it, 
near  the  north  coast,  runs  the  Sierra  of  Monte  Cristi,  and 
detached  ranges  occupy  various  portions  of  the  island.  Be- 
tween them  lie  salubrious  and  fertile  valleys,  in  which  may 
be  grown  every  variety  of  vegetation  to  be  found  in  the 
temperate  and  the  torrid  zones. 

The  Dominican  portion  of  Santo  Domingo  has  many  natural 
ports,  as  Monte  Cristi,  Puerto  Plata,  and  Samana,  on  its 
north  coast;  Macoris,  Santo  Domingo,  and  Azua,  on  the 
south  coast ;  but  these  mentioned  are  the  only  ones  fre- 
quently visited.  In  a  word,  not  only  are  its  vast  resources 
as  yet  unexploited — those  of  the  mountains  and  interior 
valleys — but  even  the  coast  country  is  not  so  well  known 
as  it  should  be.  Its  population  numbers  about  600.000,  but 
is  not  exactly  known,  owing  to  the  fact  that  no  recent 
census  has  been  taken.*  Although  this  population  hardly 
exceeds  one-half  that  of  Haiti,  and  is  scattered  over 
twice  the  area  occupied  by  the  latter  republic,  it  is 
vastly    superior    in    every    respect.      Many    families    of    the 

*The  author's  material  for  this  chapter  was  mainly  obtained  in  the 
island  itself,  but  latest  statistics  have  been  verified  by  reference  to 
La  Republica  Dominicana,  an  admirable  precis  issued  by  the  Secretary 
of  State,  vSanto  Domingo.  1907.  It  has  since  been  translated  into 
English,  and  may  be  obtained  by  addressing  the  Department  of  Pro- 
motion and  Public  Works,  Santo' Domingo. 


214  A  GUIDE  TO   THE  WEST   INDIES 

Dominican  Republic  are  descended  from  the  Spanish 
conquistadorcs,  and  in  their  veins  flows  the  blood  of  proud 
hidalgos,  the  admixture  of  African  blood  producing  the 
various  mestizos,  or  mixed  peoples,  of  varying  complexions. 
The  mixed  and  black  peoples  are  numerically  superior,  for 
during  the  many  "revolutions''  in  Santo  Domingo,  especially 
when  the  late  dictator,  Ulises  Heureaux,  was  in  power,  the 
cultured  whites  were  the  objects  of  race  animosity  and 
decimated.  But  there  still  exist  families  of  Spanish  descent, 
as  in  the  towns  of  IMoca  and  Santiago  de  los  Caballeros, 
which  can  boast  some  of  the  fairest  women — white  or  but 
slightly  tainted  with  African  blood — to  be  found  in  the 
West  Indies. 

Historical  Sketch.  In  order  to  understand  the  racial 
and  political  complexion  of  Santo  Domingo  it  will  be  neces- 
sary to  recur  to  its  history.  As  an  island  unknown  to 
Europeans,  and  occupied  by  aboriginal  inhabitants,  it  ex- 
isted until  the  first  voyage  of  Christopher  Columbus  revealed 
it  to  the  white  race.  He  first  approached  its  northern  shores 
in  the  month  of  December,  1492,  sailing  over  from  Cuba, 
which  he  had  visited  after  leaving  the  Bahamas.  He  first 
landed  at  or  near  the  present  ]\Iole  San  Nicolas,  northwest 
coast  of  Haiti,  and  sailed  thence  easterly,  touching  in  at 
Port  de  Paix,  the  Bay  of  Cape  Haitien,  etc..  at  the  last- 
named  place  losing  his  flagship,  the  Santa  Maria,  which 
was  wrecked  on  a  reef.  Landing  on  the  nearest  shore,  he 
built  a  fort,  or  tower,  of  the  wreckage,  and  leaving  here 
forty  of  his  men,  sailed  on  easterly,  calling  at  the  present 
Monte  Cristi,  Puerto  Plata,  and  Bay  of  Samana,  whence 
he  departed  for  Spain.  The  next  year  he  returned,  via  the 
Caribbees,  and  finding  his  garrison  massacred,  went  to  a  spot 
nearer  Puerto  Plata  and  there  established  the  first  settle- 
ment of  white  people  in  the  New  World.  This  place  he 
called,  and  it  is  still  known  as,  Isabella.  In  1496  his  brother 
Bartholomew  founded  another  city,  which  has  survived  till 
to-day,  on  the  south  coast,  and  is  known  as  Santo  Domingo. 
From  this  city  the  island  took  its  name,  although  its  aborig- 
inal appellation  was  Haiti,  or  "High  Land,"  a  term  very 
appropriately  bestowed. 

In  brief,  the  Spaniards,  finding  here  a  teeming  population  of 


SANTO  DOMINGO  215 

"Indians,"  treated  them  with  such  barbarity  that  in  a  few- 
years  they  were  nearly  exterminated.  The  details  of  this 
extermination  will  be  given  as  we  visit  the  locales  in  which 
the  Indians  were  established  and  where  the  Spaniards 
founded  their  settlements.  After  Columbus  had  been  re- 
called to  Spain,  on  account  of  his  misgovernment  and  the 
enemies  he  had  caused  by  favouritism,  other  Spaniards, 
scarcely  less  cruel  than  he — and  some  even  more  so — op- 
pressed the  unfortunate  aborigines.  Their  one  object  was 
the  getting  of  gold,  and  in  pursuit  of  it  they  searched  the 
river  sands  and  mountain  placers  until  it  would  seem  the 
island  became  better  known  to  the  early  Spaniards  than  it 
has  ever  been  since  their  time.  Their  success  attracted  the 
attention  first  of  the  Dutch  and  French  buccaneers,  then 
of  the  English  privateers,  such  as  Sir  John  Hawkins  and 
Sir  Francis  Drake. 

From  Santo  Domingo,  island  or  city,  sailed  Cortes  for 
Cuba  and  the  conquest  of  Mexico ;  Pizarro  for  Darien  and 
Peru ;  Balboa  for  the  discovery  of  the  Pacific,  and  many 
another  conqueror  who  made  his  reputation  by  the  sword. 
The  island  is  identified,  in  short,  with  Columbus  and  his 
brothers ;  Bobadilla,  his  successor ;  Don  Diego,  his  son ;  the 
infamous  Ovando.  oppressor  of  the  Indians ;  Bartolome  de 
las  Casas.  "Defender  of  the  Indians"  ;  Ponce  de  Leon,  the 
conqueror  of  Porto  Rico  and  discoverer  of  Florida ;  Velas- 
quez, conqueror  of  Cuba ;  and  a  host  of  lesser  luminaries 
that  shone  in  the  fifteenth  and  sixteenth  centuries.  After 
the  discovery  and  conquest  of  the  Central  and  South  Ameri- 
can mainland,  Santo  Domingo  declined  in  importance ;  but 
it  should  not  be  forgotten  that  she  ''had  a  hand"  in  all  the 
discoveries  above  mentioned.  All  over  the  island  are  scat- 
tered relics  of  the  first  settlements  founded  by  white  men 
in  America,  and  mementos  of  the  conquerors,  who  impressed 
themselves  indelibly  upon  the  people,  to  the  present  genera- 
tion. Santo  Domingo  is.  then,  an  island  worthy  of  atten- 
tion, even  though  it  lies  somewhat  apart  from  the  streams 
of  tourist  travel,  and  is  hardly  prepared  for  visitors  of  any 
sort.  It  has  been  so  preoccupied  with  its  own  affairs,  mainly 
"revolutions,"  during  the  past  hundred  j'ears  or  so  that  it 
has  paid  scant  attention  to  the  development  of  its  resources 


2i6  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST   INDIES 

or  the  entertainment  of  strangers ;  yet  it  cannot  be  called 
wholly  imprpgressive  or  inhospitable. 

Resources.  It  is  a  historical  fact  that  the  first  gold  sent 
to  Spain  from  America — in  truth,  the  first  gold  found  by 
white  men  in  America — came  from  this  island.  Gold  was 
first  seen  by  Columbus  on  the  north  coast  of  Haiti ;  but  not 
until  he  had  reached  and  entered  the  mouth  of  4:he  Yaqui 
River,  in  January,  1493.  did  he  discover  the  precious  metal 
in  situ.  There  his  men,  when  filling  their  water-casks,  saw 
glittering  particles  clinging  to  the  hoops  of  the  casks,  which 
proved  to  be  gold.  Flakes  and  nuggets  had  been  given  the 
Spaniards  by  the  Indians  of  Haiti,  but  when  questioned  as 
to  the  auriferous  region,  they  always  pointed  to  the  moun- 
tains of  Santo  Domingo.  In  those  mountains,  at  or  near 
the  headwaters  of  the  Yaqui,  in  a  region  then  and  now 
known  as  the  Cibao,  the  Spaniards  found  an  immense 
amiount  of  gold  in  dust  and  nuggets. 

It  is  a  common  saying  in  the  island  that  the  district  or 
commune  where  gold  is  not  found  is  the  exception  rather 
than  the  rule,  leaving  out  of  the  reckoning,  of  course,  the 
recent  or  coralline  formations.  The  central  cordillera  is 
threaded  with  veins  of  auriferous  quartz,  but  the  richest 
deposits  are  found  in  the  placers  in  various  parts  of  the 
territory.  In  the  province  of  Santo  Domingo  the  most 
notable  deposits  are  those  of  the  river  Jaina  and  its  tribu- 
taries ;  in  that  of  Seybo,  the  arroyo  Bonao ;  in  the  Cibao  re- 
gion the  river  Janico,  Rio  Verde,  and  Sabaneta,  where  nug- 
gets have  been  found  weighing  several  ounces  each.  It  was 
from  the  Jaina  region,  it  is  said,  that  some  miners  in  Colum- 
bus's time  found  a  nugget  as  big  as  a  table.  The  women 
of  the  Rio  Verde  region  sometimes  wash  out  from  the 
river  sands  with  wooden  trays  grains  of  gold  to  the  amount 
of  six  or  seven  ounces  per  week.  Numerous  mines  have  been 
"denounced"  in  various  sections  of  the  cordilleras.  but  no 
deposits  have  been  found  to  equal  those  exploited  by  the 
early  Spaniards,  who  sent  home  to  Spain  millions  of  dollars 
in  gold,  mainly  extracted  from  the  earth  by  Indian  labour 
under    the    lash. 

Some  silver  has  been  found  in  the  island,  but  a  much 
greater  quantity  of  copper,  which  has  yielded  30  to  33  per 


SANTO  DOMINGO  217 

cent,  of  metal  to  the  ton  of  ore.  Iron  also  is  abundant,  but 
is  not  mined  to  any  extent,  and  the  same  may  be  said  of 
coal,  which  is  not,  however,  of  the  best  quality.  Petroleum 
has  been  discovered  in  great  volume  near  Azua,  on  the 
southern  coast,  where  the  first  well  opened  gushed  to  the 
height  of  70  feet.  It  is  believed  to  be  in  a  zone  or  belt 
extending  across  the  island  and  connecting,  perhaps,  with 
an  extended  area  which  embraces  the  oil-producing  regions 
of  North  and  South  America.  Among  other  resources,  the 
island  can  boast  a  mountain  of  pure  crystal  salt,  the  Cerro  de 
Sal  of  Neyba,  south  of  Lake  Enriquillo.  Sulphur  and  other 
mineral  waters,  cold  and  warm  springs,  are  frequent ;  now 
and  then  a  few  precious  stones  have  been  found;  deposits 
of  alum,  kaolin  and  valuable  clays  are  khown,  which  might 
be  worked  to  advantage  by  labour  and  capital  properly 
directed  and  invested.  Hitherto  the  resources  of  the  island 
have  not  been  thoroughly  investigated,  owing  chiefly  to  the 
disturbed  condition  of  the  country ;  but  with  a  stable  govern- 
ment it  is  believed  that  Santo  Domingo  might  recover  its 
old-time  prosperity. 

Tropical  fruits,  vegetables,  and  forestal  products  are  of 
greater  value  than  all  the  mineral  resources  combined,  for 
the  varying  altitude  beneath  an  ardent  sun  bestows  upon 
the  island  every  variety  of  tree  and  shrub  and  plant.  All 
the  tropical  fruits  that  pertain  to  the  West  Indies  may  be 
grown  along  the  coast  and  far  up  into  the  mountains,  where 
their  places  are  taken  by  semi-temperate  and  temperate  prod- 
ucts. These  fruits  range  from  bananas  to  strawberries,  the 
vegetables  from  yucca  and  yams  to  cabbages  and  potatoes, 
a  different  fruit  or  vegetable  being  possible  for  every  degree 
or  two  of  temperature  as  measured  by  altitude.  Sugar- 
cane, cacao,  cocoanuts,  cofifee,  vanilla,  etc.,  grow  along  the 
coast  luxuriantly,  and  in  the  forests  may  be  found  rare 
cabinet  woods — mahogany,  cedar,  logwood,  dividivi,  tobacco 
and  coffee  wood,  fustic,  etc.  Millions  of  precious  trees, 
valued  for  their  products,  fill  the  mountain  forests,  such  as 
resinous  pine  and  native  rubber  trees,  the  latter  producing 
at  the  rate  of  two  to  five  pounds  of  gutta-percha  per  annum, 
and  said  to  be  very  profitable. 

There  are  few  manufactures  in  the  island;  taxes  are  low, 


2i8  A  GUIDE  TO   THE  WEST   INDIES 

and  the  revenue  is  derived  from  imports  and  exports,  which 
amount,  approximately  and  respectively,  to  $5,000,000  and 
$7,000,000  per  annum.  Since  April,  1905.  the  customs  have 
been  collected  by  officials  named  by  the  Government  of  the 
United  States,  55  per  cent,  of  the  revenues  being  banked 
in  New  York  for  the  benefit  of  foreign  creditors.  This 
arrangement  was  sanctioned  by  treaty  of  1907 ;  but  is  much 
more  to  the  satisfaction  of  the  foreign  creditor  than  of  the 
natives  of  Santo  Domingo,  who  bitterly  resent  this  intrusion 
(as  they  term  it),  though  not  to  the  extent  of  combating 
it  by  force  of  arms. 

Although  many  of  Santo  Domingo's  best  harbours  are 
occupied,  several  have  flourishing  towns  and  cities  adjacent, 
and  two  or  three  inland  settlements  partake  of  the  general 
prosperity,  yet  there  are  scores  of  natural  ports,  especially 
on  the  north  coast,  which  still  exist  in  the  primitive  solitude 
in  which  they  were  discovered  by  Columbus.  They  are 
scattered  all  the  way  from  Samana  Bay  to  Monte  Cristi ; 
some  of  them  have  large  tracts  of  fertile  soil  contiguous, 
some  immen?e  resources  of  fine  woods  and  forest-al  products 
of  the  tropics.  Possessing  a  fine  climate,  which  varies  but 
little  from  70  to  80  degrees  the  year  through,  and  to  a 
great  extent  exempt  from  aerial  disturbances  and  terrestrial 
convulsions,  this  country  is  greatly  favoured  by  nature,  and 
should  be  occupied  by  a  more  numerous  population  gener- 
ally than  it  is  to-day.  The  Dominicans  usually  welcome 
foreign  capital  and  immigration.  They  are  not  averse  to 
modern  improvements,  moral  or  material,  and  the  only 
reason  they  have  not  made  greater  progress  is  their  isolation, 
as  well  as  the  disturbed  state  of  their  country  for  many 
years  past. 

Roads  and  Railways.  There  are  very  few  roads  in  the 
island  suitable  for  wheeled  vehicles,  most  of  them  being 
merely  horse  trails,  which,  though  they  may  have  existed  for 
centuries,  are  in  worse  condition  than  when  originally  laid 
out.  Travel  is  performed  mainly  on  horse  and  donkeyback, 
and  in  the  rural  districts  bullocks  are  trained  for  this  pur- 
pose, the  hucys,  as  they  are  called,  serving  as  "mounts"  for 
women  and  children  as  well  as  men.  In  the  rainy  season,  or 
during  the  summer  and  early  autumn,  the  roads  are  well- 


SANTO  DOMINGO  219 

nigh  impassable,  for  most  of  them  contain  pits,  worn  by 
the  hoofs  of  countless  animals;  two  or  three  feet  in  depth, 
filled  with  water  and  liquid  mud,  with  which  the  traveller 
is  liberally  bespattered  as  his  beast  flounders  from  one  hole 
to  another. 

The  longest  direct  road  in  the  island  connects  the  port  of 
Monte  Cristi  with  Santiago  de  los  Caballeros  and  La  Vega, 
taking  mainly  the  course  of  the  great  Yaqui  waterway. 
From  the  capital  city,  Santo  Domingo,  run  several  roads, 
or  trails,  that  have  been  in  use  for  nearly  four  hundred  years 
without  change  or  improvement.  One  road  crosses  the 
island  and  connects  with  the  Yaqui  highway  at  La  Vega, 
another  runs  easterly  to  Seybo  and  Salva  Leon  de  Higuey, 
and  still  another  (the  historic  trail  traversed  by  the  Spanish 
conquerors)  leads  westerly  along  the  southern  coast  fo  Bani, 
Azua,  and  Neyba  ;  one  branch  to  Port  au  Prince  in  Haiti,  and 
another  into  the  valley  of  the  Yaqui  of  the  South,  crossing 
numerous  streams,  which  are  sometimes  raging  torrents 
in  the  rainy  season. 

Up  to  the  end  of  the  year  1907  but  two  railways  had  been 
completed  in  Santo  Domingo,  both  leading  inland  from 
harbours  on  the  north  coast.  These  are  the  Sanchez-La  Vega 
Railway,  from  the  Bay  of  Samana  to  Concepcion  de  la  Vega, 
in  the  Royal  Plain,  132  kilometers  in  length  ;  and  the  Ferro- 
carril  Central  Djiiiiuicano,  68  kilometers,  connecting  Puerto 
Plata  and  Santiago  de  los  Caballeros.  A  short  branch  line 
also  connects  La  Vega  with  the  town  of  Moca,  and  one  is 
projected  from  the  latter  place  to  Santiago.  Several  con- 
cessions have  been  granted  for  other  railways,  not  yet  con- 
structed, one  of  which  is  to  unite  the  capital  city  with  San 
Cristobal,  in  a  rich  and  interesting  region :  and  the  other 
to  connect  the  port  of  Romano,  on  the  southern  coast,  with 
the  interior  town  of  Seybo.  On  various  sugar  plantations  are 
many  miles  of  narrow-gauge  track,  over  which  the  cane  is 
hauled  to  the  mills  and  sugar  transported  to  the  ports, 
whence  it  is  taken  to  the  United  States  in  steamers  and 
sailing  vessels. 

The  island  has  a  good  telegraph  and  telephone  system,  the 
principal  centres  of  population  being  connected  by  both  sorts 
of  wire.    A  submarine  telegraphic  cable  runs  from  the  north 


220  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST   INDIES 

coast  at  Puerto  Plata  to  Haiti  and  Cuba,  connecting  with  the 
land  lines  of  the  United  States,  while  another  runs  from  the 
capital  on  the  south  coast  to  Curagao  and  Venezuela,  beneath 
the  Caribbean   Sea. 

A  well-regulated  postal  system  is  established,  Santo  Do- 
mingo being  in  the  Union  and  sharing  its  privileges.  Postage 
to  the  United  States  and  other  foreign  countries  is  5  cents 
per  half  ounce  on  first-class  matter,  with  the  usual  rates  for 
second-class,  etc. 

Hotels  are  neither  numerous  nor  excellent.  In  Santo  Do- 
mingo City  the  Frances — as  its  name  implies,  under  French 
management — is  the  best  hostelry,  at  $2.50  to  $3  per  day. 

The  Capital  City,  Santo  Domingo.  While  Santo  Do- 
mingo has  many  natural  ports,  it  has  comparatively  few 
towns  or  cities  of  importance.  The  largest  of  these  is  the 
capital  city,  Santo  Domingo,  which  was  founded  in  the  year 
1496,  on  the  east  bank  of  the  Ozama  River,  south  coast  of 
the  island.  It  was  transferred  to  the  west  bank  in  1502, 
where  it  has  ever  since  remained,  and  hence  is  the  oldest 
city  of  European  foundation  in  America.  Hither  came 
Christopher  Columbus,  after  his  brother  had  chosen  the  site 
for  this  city ;  here  he  once  owned  a  house,  which,  however, 
together  with  the  tower  he  built  to  command  the  harbour, 
has  disappeared.  The  chapel  which  he  used  to  attend,  and 
from  the  doorway  of  which  he  was  proclaimed  a  traitor  and 
outcast,  may  still  be  seen  on  the  left  bank  of  the  Ozama, 
opposite  the  city.  From  this  harbour  of  Santo  Domingo,  at 
the  mouth  of  the  Ozama,  sailed  Columbus  in  chains,  in  the 
year  1500;  into  it  he  came  in  1502.  just  before  the  great 
hurricane  which  sank  the  ship  in  which  his  rival  and  op- 
pressor, Bobadilla,  had  set  sail ;  and  he  entered  it  for  the 
last  time  in  1504.  after  his  rescue  from  shipwreck  at  Jamaica, 
two  years  before  his  death. 

Santo  Domingo  is  a  walled  city,  one  of  the  few  remaining 
of  its  kind,  and  within  it  are  gathered  historical  structures 
such  as  no  other  settlement  in  America  can  boast.  Arriving 
at  the  mole,  directly  up  or  near  to  which  the  steamer  pro- 
ceeds (depending  upon  the  stage  of  the  water),  you  find 
yourself  confronted  by  the  remains  of  a  massive  structure 
rising  above  the  city  wall.     This  is  the  Casa  dc  Colon,  or 


SANTO  DOMLNGO  221 

House  of  Columbus ;  not  of  Christopher,  but  his  son  Diego, 
who  came  out  here  in  1509,  three  years  after  the  death  of 
his  father.  By  a  brilliant  marriage  with  the  Duchess  of 
Toledo  he  had  become  allied  to  the  family  of  his  sovereign, 
and  so  began  his  colonial  career  as  viceroy  with  great  splen- 
dour. He  raised  this  magnificent  palace  on  the  west  bank 
of  the  Ozama,  fortified  it  with  cannon  and  intrenched  him- 
self so  strongly  that  his  king  became  alarmed  and  soon  after 
recalled  him.  This  fortified  residence  erected  by  Don  Diego 
rises  immediately  above  the  wharf  at  which  the  steamer 
lands.  It  is  roofless,  windowdess,  and  falling  into  decay, 
but  still  a  grand  yet  gloomy  pile,  towering  majestically  above 
squalid  huts  of  palm-wood  and  thatch ;  its  lower  rooms, 
where  once  grand  dames  and  hidalgos  used  to  meet,  are 
occupied  as  stables  for  goats  and  donkeys.  Gone  is  its  glory, 
and  gone  are  the  people  who  knew  and  treasured  its 
traditions. 

The  Homenage,  or  Columbus  Tower.  The  most  stately- 
structure  in  the  capital  is  that  locally  known  as  the  Homen- 
age, sometimes  called  the  Columbus  Castle;  though  the  tower 
in  which  the  great  discoverer  was  confined  previous  to  being 
sent  to  Spain  in  irons  stood  on  the  opposite  bank  of  the  river 
and  no  longer  exists.  This  castle  was  built  in  1509,  by 
command  of  Don  Diego  Columbus,  and  is  the  oldest  of  its 
kind  in  America,  antedating  the  morros  of  Havana.  Santiago 
de  Cuba  and  San  Juan  de  Puerto  Rico  by  several  years.  It 
is  still  a  grand  and  picturesque  structure,  and  stands  in  a 
most  commanding  situation  upon  the  right  bank  of  the  river, 
near  its  mouth,  above  a  steep  clifif,  wave-worn  into  caverns. 
It  is  now  used  as  a  prison,  but  entrance  can  be  obtained  to 
the  tower,  from  the  parapet  of  which  a  fine  view  offers  of  the 
city  and  surroundings.  The  cell  will  be  shown  in  which  the 
great  Columbus  was  confined,  according  to  local  tradition ; 
but  too  much  faith  must  not  be  placed  in  this,  as  at  the  time 
he  was  a  prisoner  here  the  town  occupied  the  opposite  bank 
of  the  river. 

On  the  river  bank,  not  far  from  the  landing-place,  the 
visitor  may  see  what  the  natives  will  tell  him  is  the  genuine 
ceiha  tree,  or  silk-cotton,  to  which  Columbus  made  fast  his 
caravels  when  he  first  came  here;  though  this  is  not  sus- 


222  A  GUIDE  TO   THE   WEST   INDIES 

ceptible  of  proof.  Also  near  here  stands  a  small  stone  house, 
which  in  all  probability  was  erected  by  Don  Diego  Colum- 
bus, over  a  spring  of  pure  water,  which  still  gushes  forth 
as  in  that  time  so  long  ago. 

A  Walled  City.  The  chapel  building,  to  which  reference 
has  been  made,  as  that  from  the  doorway  of  which  the  down- 
fall of  Columbus  was  pixDclaimed  by  Bobadilla,  is  known  as 
Rosario,  stands  on  the  bank  of  the  river  opposite  the  city, 
and  is  in  a  ruinous  condition,  though  still  used  for  storage 
purposes  by  the  owners  of  the  sugar  estate  to  which  it  at 
present  pertains.  It  should  be  visited  as  well  for  itself  as 
for  the  view  of  city  and  harbour,  from  the  bank  on  wdiich 
it  stands.  These  are  the  few^  historical  attractions  outside 
the  city  walls  of  Santo  Domingo,  through  which  a  mediaeval 
gateway  afifords  entrance.  The  once  beautiful  and  stately 
mansions  have  fallen  to  pieces,  and  in  their  ruins  sometimes 
lurk  ragged  vagrants,  who  sleep  by  night  within  their  shelter 
and  prowl  about  the  streets  by  day.  If  one  could  make  his 
way  around  the  heaps  of  ruins  that  have  accumulated  within 
the  walls  nothing  could  be  more  interesting  than  an  explora- 
tion of  them,  for  many  of  the  fortalezas  and  sentry-boxes  are 
yet  intact  which  were  erected  four  hundred  years  ago. 

The  city  was,  and  is,  enclosed  within  a  massive,  battle- 
mented  wall  at  least  20  feet  in  height.  Like  Havana,  how- 
ever, the  city  is  spreading  rapidly,  and  before  long  may  have 
extended  beyond  the  limits  of  its  mural  enclosure,  for  there 
are  already  many  breaches,  as  though  made  by  an  attacking 
force,  but  probably  in  the  interests  of  expansion.  Visit,  if 
you  can,  however,  the  Fiierte  del  Angulo,  at  the  junction  of 
city  and  river,  and  the  near  fortalezas  of  Santa  Barbara  and 
San  Anton,  near  the  churches  of  the  same  name.  After  the 
last  named  come  the  fuertes,  or  forts,  of  San  Francisco, 
San  Miguel,  San  Lazaro,  La  Caridad,  and  Concepcion,  which 
last  is  the  farthest  inland,  and  from  which  the  wall  runs 
toward  the  sea,  where  it  ends  in  the  Fuerte  de  San  Gil.  Thus 
the  city  lies  within  an  angle  of  river  and  sea,  reinforced  by 
fortifications,  which  were  adequate  for  defence  against  the 
Indians,  but  which  w'ere  not  strong  enough  to  withstand  the 
battering  of  Sir  Francis  Drake's  cannon,  when  he  took  the 
place  in  1586. 


SANTO   DOMINGO  223 

Old  Churches  and  Convents.  There  are  nearly  a  dozen 
churches  in  the  city,  the  oldest  of  them  being  San  Nicolas, 
far  gone  in  decay,  which  was  founded  by  Governor  Ovando, 
in  1509,  as  a  conscience  offering.  Ovando  had  committed 
atrocious  massacres  of  the  Indians,  among  others  having 
nmrdered  the  beautiful  Queen  Anacaona,  and  he  had  also 
oppressed  Columbus  and  his  brothers.  In  San  Nicolas  ex- 
amine particularly  the  groined  canopy  above  the  presbytery,  if 
it  is  still  intact. 

The  most  famous  of  the  convents  is  that  of  San  Francisco, 
a  great  bulk  of  buildings  that  is  conspicuous  from  any  point 
in  the  city,  as  it  stands  upon  a  hill,  behind  the  Casa  de 
Colon.  It  is  now  in  a  ruinous  condition,  and  the  habitable 
portion  is  now  used  as  an  asylum  for  the  insane ;  but  en- 
trance is  not  denied  to  visitors,  who  may  wander  about  as 
freely  as  they  wish.  Beneath  the  original  entrance-way  the 
gallant  Ojeda  (one  time  companion  of  Columbus,  and  cap- 
turer  of  Caonabo,  king  of  the  Golden  Mountains)  was 
buried,  according  to  tradition;  the  great  altar,  at  the  foot 
of  which  Don  Bartholomew  Columbus  was  interred,  is  de- 
molished ;  and  we  have  nothing  to  indicate  where  these 
heroes  actually  lie.  nor  what  has  become  of  the  missionaries 
who  once  occupied  the  now  roofless  cells  and  paced  the  de- 
serted corridors.  Great  arches  spring  across  from  ruined 
wall  to  ruined  wall,  and  all  are  draped  in  vines,  while  cocoa 
trees  spread  their  fronds  above  the'  crumbling  stones. 

One  of  the  beautiful  churches  of  the  city  is  Santa  Barbara, 
on  Calle  de  Comercio,  near  the  river  wall.  It  is  undeniably 
ancient,  primitive  in  its  interior  decoration,  and  with  an 
exterior  very  original  and  even  quaint.  On  a  little  hill 
fronting  the  Plazuela  de  San  Miguel  stands  the  old  church 
of  that  name,  built  by  the  treasurer  of  King  Charles  I.  about 
1520 — a  small  but  attractive  structure  wnth  a  history.  San 
Anton,  between  Santa  Barbara  and  San  Miguel,  facing  a 
street  of  the  same  name,  is  merely  a  shell  of  what  was  once 
a  splendid  church  with  magnificent  arches ;  La  Merced  is 
large,  but  gloomy ;  Santa  Clara,  if  not  a  more  recent  church, 
is  more  modern  in  aspect,  having  been  restored,  and  the 
same  may  also  be  remarked  of  the  Regina,  to  which  is  at- 
tached a  fine  and  flourishing  school. 


224  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST   INDIES 

Of  the  convent  churches,  the  most  celebrated  is  that  of 
Santo  Domingo,  which  was  founded  soon  after  San  Nicolas. 
Though  ancient,  its  walls  have  preserved  their  integrity,  and 
its  interior  has  been  carefully  restored  within  a  century 
past.  It  has  a  quaint  pulpit  supported  upon  a  serpent  carved 
from  wood,  an  attractive  altar  and  reredos.  Sunken  into 
the  pavement  are  some  interesting  tombstones  with  carved 
cscudos,  or  coats-of-arms.  One  in  particular  is  worthy  of 
notice,  as  it  contains  a  shield  with  thirteen  stars,  surrounded 
by  an  inscription  in  Latin  from  the  Scriptures.  Annexed  to 
the  walls  of  this  church  are  those  of  what  was  at  one  time 
the  most  famous  structure  in  America,  perhaps,  for  it  con- 
tained the  first  university  founded  in  this  hemisphere.  In 
one  of  the  ruined  apartments  lived  the  great  humanitarian, 
Las  Casas,  the  companion  and  historian  of  Columbus,  who 
once  taught  in  this  first  institution  of  learning  in  America, 
which  was  founded  at  about  the  same  time  as  the  church 
contiguous  to  it. 

Within  the  walls  of  this  old  city  are  bits  of  architecture  that 
suggest  Spain  and  the  Orient,  for  all  the  ancient  and  im- 
portant structures  are  Hispano-Moriscan,  massive  in  style, 
generally  surrounding  open  courts,  sometimes  beautifully 
modelled  and  decorated.  For  typical  doorways  of  the  early 
period  seek  out  the  old  Mint,  the  Casa  Moneda,  which  has 
fine  medallions  on  doorposts  and  lintels ;  and  the  Casa  del 
Cordon,  which  has  a  monk's  girdle  in  stone  suspended  above 
the  entrance-way.  This  building  is  now  used  as  a  hotel, 
though  formerly  a  monastery,  and  is  said  to  be  connected 
by  a  subterranean  passage  with  the  convent  of  San 
Francisco. 

The  Ancient  Cathedral.  The  cathedral  of  Santo  Do- 
mingo occupies  an  entire  block  between  the  Calles  Con- 
sistorial  and  Comercio,  facing  the  southern  side  of  the  paseo, 
which  is  adorned  with  a  statue  of  Columbus.  It  was  begun 
in  1512  or  1514,  but  not  completed  until  1540.  and  is  more 
interesting  historically  than  pleasing  architecturally.  Still, 
it  is  a  creditable  structure  for  an  out-of-the-way  island  like 
Santo  Domingo  to  possess,  and  its  interior  is  vastly  more 
attractive  than  its  exterior.  You  must  not  fail  to  note,  as 
the  cathedral  is  approached  from  the  pasco,  the  cannon-ball 


SANTO  DOMINGO  225 

embedded  in  its  roof  of  tiles,  as  this  is  a  relic  of  the  bom- 
bardment of  the  city  by  Sir  Francis  Drake  in  1586.  He 
did  his  best  to  destroy  the  city  at  that  time,  but  after  vainly 
attempting  to  fire  the  principal  buildings,  agreed  to  with- 
draw— after  he  had  plundered  the  Dominicans  of  all  he  could 
find — for  the  sum  of  25,000  ducats. 

The  main  entrance  of  the  cathedral  is  by  the  western  door- 
way, which  should  be  observed  for  its  unique  ornamenta- 
tion. As  the  threshold  is  passed,  before  the  visitor  opens  the 
great  nave,  of  grand  proportions,  flanked  by  lofty  columns 
supporting  a  groined  ceiling.  The  high  altar,  immediately 
in  front,  at  the  eastern  end  of  the  nave,  is  faced  with  plates 
of  silver,  the  product  of  island  mines,  and  has-  as  a  back- 
ground a  splendid  retable  of  carved  wood  richly  gilded.  At 
the  right  of  the  altar  (facing  west)  is  the  vault  from  which 
the  alleged  bones  of  Columbus  were  taken — as  will  be  de- 
tailed in  another  place.  Turning  now  to  face  the  western 
entrance,  with  the  back  to  the  high  altar,  we  find  the  sanc- 
tuary of  the  "Santa  Reliquia,"  so  called  because  it  contains 
a  sacred  relic.  It  is  a  portion,  a  small  fragment,  of  the 
Cross  of  La  Vega,  or  Santo  Cerro,  upon  which  descended, 
tradition  relates,  an  angel,  or  apparition  of  the  most  holy 
Virgin,  at  the  time  of  the  Spaniards'  first  encounter  with 
the  Indians  of  Santo  Domingo.  It  is  set  in  gold,  enclosed 
in  a  silver  casket,  and  shown  only  once  a  year,  on  the  anni- 
versary of  that  miraculous  occurrence. 

Chapels  and  Reliquaries.  The  first  chapel  following, 
still  westward,  contains  a  fine  painting  of  the  Santisiuia 
Trinidad,  and  also  a  privHegio,  from  Pope  Benedicto  XIV., 
year  1729,  granting  to  any  person  celebrating  here  a  mass, 
on  any  day  of  the  year,  the  privilege  of  rescuing  a  tormented 
soul  from  purgatory.  Next  in  line  is  the  chapel  of  La  J^ir- 
gcn  de  Dolores,  or  the  Sorrowing  Virgin,  containing  also 
the  tomb  of  an  archbishop. 

Next  we  find  the  Puerta  del  Pardon,  or  the  Door  of 
Pardon,  so  called  from  the  fact  that  any  one  fleeing  from 
justice,  or  an  escaping  criminal,  reaching  this  doorw^ay  in 
advance  of  his  pursuers,  would  be  entitled  to  sanctuary  and 
be  considered  safe.  Over  this  door  is  an  inscribed  tablet 
conveying  the  information  that  the  cathedral  was  finished  to 


226  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST   INDIES 

this  point  in  1527.  Through  the  doorway  a  pleasing  view 
of  the  plaza,  or  paseo,  is  afforded,  with  the  statue  of  Colum- 
bus visible.  Beyond  this  door  is  a  chapel  containing  a  tomb 
and  a  gory  effigy  of  Christ,  with  a  real  skull  and  crossbones 
beneath  it,  and  the  date  1524,  showing  conclusively  that  it 
was  completed  thus  far  at  that  time.  It  has  a  privilegio 
dated  1727,  and  is  of  greater  importance  than  the  two  chapels 
succeeding,  one  of  which,  the  sixth  from  the  high  altar, 
contains  a  painting  and  the  bones  of  a  revered  saint.  Op- 
posite the  Capilla .  Alta  Gracia,  which  is  next  to  the  last, 
beneath  a  tablet  set  into  the  nave,  lie  the-  remains  of  the 
celebrated  historian  of  the  West  Indies,  Oviedo.  The  last 
chapel  on  this  side  is  that  of  Jesus  Predicador,  passing 
which  we  reach  the  great  west  door,  known  as  the  Piierta 
de  San  Pedro,  flanked  by  a  statue  of  San  Jose  on  the  right 
and  one  of  San  Miguel  on  the  left. 

Turning  now  toward  the  Altar  Mayor,  or  High  Altar,  we 
have  before  us  the  chapel  of  Jesus  en  Columna,  containing 
a  revered  image  of  la  Seiiora  de  Buen  Sucesos,  while  the 
next  following  is  adorned  with  a  very  old  painting,  which 
is  said  to  have  been  brought  to  the  island  by  Columbus 
(probably  Don  Diego)  and  presented,  through  him,  by 
Queen  Isabella  and  King  Ferdinand. 

There  are  probably  several  paintings  by  the  old  masters 
hidden  away  in  the  island,  but  beyond  a  doubt  some  by 
famous  artists,  and  another  picture  in  this  chapel  is  ascribed 
to  a  pupil  of  Murillo,  if,  indeed,  it  is  not  from  the  great 
painter  himself.  The  chapel  succeeding,  known  as  that  of 
San  Franeiseo,  is  regarded  with  great  veneration  by  the 
natives,  as  it  holds  the  first  cross  erected  on  the  site  of 
the  cathedral,  transferred  to  this  niche  after  it  was  finished. 
An  inscription  across  its  arms  is  as  follows:  "Esta  es  la 
Insignia  primera  que  se  planto  en  el  centra  de  esta  Campo 
para  dar  principo  a  este  magnifico  Teniplo — el  ano  de 
MDXIX."  It  is  of  mahogany,  9  feet  high  and  of  propor- 
tionate width.  An  exact  duplicate  of  this  holy  relic  was 
made  by  native  workmen,  under  the  supervision  of  the 
writer  of  these  lines,  in  1892,  and  sent  to  the  Columbian 
Exposition  of  1893,  where  it  was  exhibited  in  the  convent 
of  La  Rabida,  which  had  been  erected  there  for  the  recep- 


SANTO  DOMINGO  227 

tion  of  relics  pertaining  to  Columbus  and  the  discovery  of 
America. 

In  the  eleventh  chapel,  that  of  the  Santisimo  Sacramento, 
are  notable  portraits  of  the  twelve  apostles,  ascribed  to  the 
famous  Spanish  artist  Velasquez,  and  above  the  altar  a 
"Virgin"  by  the  equally  famous  Murillo.  At  least  it  is  said 
to  be,  and  may  have  been,  for  though  there  are  no  proofs 
existing  of  its  authenticity,  it  very  much  resembles  Murillo's 
workmanship ;  and  in  favour  of  it  is  the  well-known  fact  that 
some  of  the  high  dignitaries  sent  here  by  the  Court  of  Spain 
brought  with  them  paintings  by  great  artists  of  that  country, 
which  they  presented  to  the  cathedral  chapter  on  their  de- 
parture. The  sagravio,  or  tabernacle,  of  this  chapel  is 
adorned  with  silver,  and  in  its  pavement  is  a  tombstone 
10  feet  long,  with  a  carved  esciido,  or  coat-of-arms — a  casque 
and  helmet  with   flowing  plumes — bearing  date    1551. 

The  Capilla  de  Baiitismo,  next  beyond,  has  a  beautifully 
modelled  door,  a  fine  retable,  and  paintings ;  but  the  next 
in  succession,  that  of  the  Adelantado  Rodrigo  de  Bastidas, 
is  perhaps  the  finest  in  the  cathedral.  It  has  a  domed  ceiling, 
and  is  adorned  with  the  rare  Moorish  actilejo  tiles,  used  for 
the  decoration  of  the  Alhambra  in  Spain.  Adelantado 
Bastidas  was  once  a  noted  commander,  who  explored  and 
tried  to  settle  the  coast  of  Darien,  but  who  was  killed  by 
his  men,  and  so  here  lies,  together  with  his  wife  and  child, 
as  an  inscription  attests. 

Back  of  the  jaccnt  figure  of  an  early  archbishop  in  this 
chapel  is  a  small  cell,  which  was  temporarily  used  to  hold 
the  bones  of  Columbus  at  one  time.  The  two-leaved  door 
of  this  cell  is  a  beautiful  example  of  sixteenth  century 
carving  in  wood,  .and  was  reproduced  by  the  writer  for  ex- 
hibition at  the  Columbian  Exposition,  1893.  At  the  left 
hand,  facing  the  cathedral  nave,  is  the  altar  of  Ave  Maria, 
with  gilded  retable  and  painting,  flanked  by  sculptured  figures 
of  Isabella  and  Ferdinand,  similar  to  those  to  be  seen  in  the 
royal  chapel  at  Granada.  Behind  this  altar,  in  the  pavement 
of  the  presbytery,  is  a  slab  above  the  vault  in  which,  about 
forty  years  ago,  the  remains  of  Don  Luis  Colon  were  found, 
as  attested  by  an  inscription  on  a  leaden  plate  discovered  at 
the  time. 


228  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST   INDIES 

Here,  in  1898,  was  erected  the  magnificent  mausoleum  of 
marble  and  bronze  to  the  memory  of  Christopher  Columbus, 
within  which  rest  the  ashes  of  the  great  discoverer.  These 
precious  relics  are  contained  in  an  ^inia,  or  casket,  of  crystal, 
which  is  held  in  a  niche  securely  guarded.  Two  massive 
bronze  lions  guard  the  entrance,  and  bronze  tablets  per- 
petuate the  deeds  of  Columbus.  Altogether,  the  monument 
which  the  Dominicans  have  erected  here  is  worthy  the  name 
and  fame  of  the  man  who  gave  a  new  world  to  Leon  and 
Castile.  Outside  the  cathedral,  in  the  centre  of  the  plaza, 
stands  a  statue  of  Columbus  in  bronze,  with  a  figure  of 
Anacaona,  an  Indian  princess,  who  was  hanged  by  Ovando 
near  this  spot,  crouching  at  his  feet.  Thus  have  the  Domini- 
cans perpetuated  the  memory  of  the  man  who  discovered 
their  island,  who  founded  its  first  town,  and  began  its  sub- 
jugation. 

The  Remains  of  Columbus.  The  last  resting-place  of 
the  great  discoverer,  Christopher  Columbus,  has  been  a 
matter  of  dispute  for  many  years;  but  there  exists  no  doubt 
in  the  mind  of  the  writer  (who  was  at  one  time  especially 
commissioned  by  the  Columbian  Exposition  to  investigate 
this  subject)  that  it  is  in  Santo  Domingo.  Although  a  some- 
what hackneyed  subject,  it  will  be  necessary,  in  order  to 
understand  how  it  is  possible  that  the  remains  of  Columbus 
can  rest  in  Santo  Domingo  (when  he  died  in  Spain,  and 
that  country  still  claims  his  burial  place),  to  mention  certain 
historical  occurrences. 

Columbus  discovered  the  island  in  1492;  he  returned  to  it 
and  established  a  settlement  in  1493,  making  it  his  point  of 
departure  for  various  voyages  up  to  1502,  inclusive.  He 
and  his  brother  Bartholomew,  known  as,  the  Adelantado, 
did  their  best  to  effect  a  complete  conquest  of  the  island, 
but  were  opposed  by  seditious  adventurers,  and  in  the  year 
1500  were  sent  back  to  Spain  in  irons.  Christopher  returned 
from  his  last  voyage  to  America  in  1504,  and  died  in  Valla- 
dolid,  Spain,  in  1506.  His  ante-mortem  desire,  as  expressed 
on  his  deathbed,  and  in  his  last  will  and  testament,  was  to 
be  taken  to  Santo  Domingo  and  interred  within  the  walls 
of  a  monastery  he  had  been  mstrumental  in  founding  in  that 
island.     In  accordance  with  his  wishes,  then,  he  was  taken 


SANTO  DOMINGO  229 

to  Santo  Domingo  in  the  year  1540,  at  which  time  the 
remains  of  his  son,  Don  Diego,  who  had  died  in  1526,  were 
also  transferred  to  the  island  in  which  both  had  accomplished 
their  greatest  achievements.  That  was  the  ninth  voyage,  in  life 
and  in  death,  that  the  great  Columbus  had  made  across  the 
Atlantic,  and  it  was  meet  and  'proper  that  he  should  be 
allowed  to  rest  within  the  confines  of  the  hemisphere  which 
he  had  been  the  means  of  giving  to  the  world. 

Nine  years  later  the  first  archbishop  of  the  diocese  wrote : 
"The  tomb  of  Don  Cristobal  Colon,  where  are  his  bones,  is 
much  venerated  in  this  cathedral,"  and  that  the  transfer  was 
made  from  Spain  to  Santo  Domingo,  where  the  remains  were 
interred  in  the  cathedral  there,  then  recently  completed,  is 
agreed  in  by  all  the  famous  historians,  from  Herrera  to 
Washington  Irving.  But  there  exists  no  official  record  of 
the  transfer,  and  in  the  century  following,  toward  the  last 
of  it,  only  tradition  preserved  the  location  of  his  burial- 
place.  The  last  official  statement  respecting  it  is  that  of  the 
diocesan  synod,  to  the  effect  that  "the  bones  of  C.  Colon  are 
here,  in  a  leaden  case,  in  the  presbytery  [of  the  cathedral], 
according  to  the  tradition  of  the  old  inhabitants  of  the 
island."  That  was  in  1583,  but  a  few  years  later,  in  1586, 
just  before  Sir  Francis  Drake  made  his  attack  upon  Santo 
Domingo,  the  archbishop  caused  all  the  tombs  of  the  dis- 
coverers in  his  keeping  to  be  covered  with  earth,  to  prevent 
their  desecration— "especially  that  of  the  Old  Admiral 
[Columbus],  which  is  in  the  evangclio  of  my  holy  church 
and  chapel."  Later,  when  the  cathedral  had  been  injured 
by  an  earthquake,  the  archbishop  mentioned  among  other 
reasons  for  its  restoration  that  "in  the  capilla  mayor  is  in- 
terred the  illustrious  Don   Cristoval   Colon." 

More  than  200  years  later,  or  in  1795,  when  Spain  ceded  to 
France,  by  the  treaty  of  Basle,  the  island  of  Santo  Domingo, 
that  "cradle  of  her  greatness  in  the  New  World,"  it  was 
considered  unworthy  the  greatness  of  Spain  to  allow  the 
ashes  of  the  man  who  had  given  America  into  her  keeping 
to  rest  under  an  alien  flag.  So  a  commission  was  sent  to 
Santo  Domingo  authorised  to  remove  them  to  Havana,  which 
remained  in  Spain's  possession  for  another  hundred  years. 
There   was  no   inscription   or   official    record   to   guide   the 


230  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST   INDIES 

members  of  this  commission;  only  tradition,  which  merely 
said  that  the  remains  had  been  deposited  in  the  cathedral,  on 
the  "gospel"  side  of  the  altar.  Accepting  this  tradition 
without  question,  they  opened  a  vault,  which  was  about  a 
yard  in  depth  and  breadth,  and  took  therefrom  some  plates 
of  lead  bearing  evidence  of  having  been  part  of  a  casket 
of  that  metal,  some  fragments  of  bones,  and  some  dust. 
These  relics  were  taken  aboard  the  war  vessel  San  Lorenzo 
and  transported  to  Havana,  where  they  were  deposited  in  a 
niche  prepared  for  that  purpose  in  the  cathedral. 

It  was  universally  believed,  not  only  in  Spain  and  Cuba, 
but  in  Santo  Domingo  likewise,  that  the  ashes  of  Christopher 
Columbus  had  been  taken  to  Havana  as  described;  but 
eighty-two  years  later,  or  in  1877,  a  discovery  was  made 
that  completely  refuted  the  scant  evidence  in  support  of  this 
belief.  Another,  vault  was  found,  while  some  workmen 
were  making  repairs  in  the  cathedral,  which  on  investigation 
was  discovered  to  contain  a  leaden  casket,  inscribed  with  the 
initial  letters  of  Christopher  Columbus's  name  and  his  title. 
These  were  on  the  lid's  exterior,  while  inside  was  an 
inscription :  "IW  trc  y  E'do  Varon,  D'n  Cristoval  Colon," 
or  "Illustrious  and  noble  gentleman,  Don  Christopher 
Columbus." 

The  box  contained  some  crumbling  human  bones,  with  only 
a  few  portions  of  the  skeleton  remaining — the  skull  having 
been  entirely  reduced  to  dust — a  large  bullet,  and  a  small 
silver  plate.  The  bullet  is  supposed  to  have  been  one  re- 
ceived by  Columbus  in  his  body  when  engaged  with  pirates 
on  the.  coast  of  Africa  previous  to  his  voyage  to  America. 
The  silver  plate  was  inscribed  with  the  name  and  titles  of 
Columbus,  and  thus  furnished  additional  proof  of  the  genu- 
ineness of  this  great  discovery.  Of  course,  it  might  be  urged 
that  all  these  "evidences"  were  spurious ;  but  the  circum- 
stances surrounding  the  discovery,  and  the  high  character  of 
the  witnesses,  such  as  the  archbishop  and  canon  of  the 
cathedral,  and  the  foreign  consuls,  who  were  present  at  the 
exhumation,  preclude  this  assumption. 

A  great  furor  ensued,  of  course,  and  Spain  sent  over  a 
commission  to  investigate,  composed  of  members  of  the 
Spanish  Academy,  who,  however,  still  adhered  to  the  popular 


Columbus  Mausoleum,  Santo  Dt)mingo 


>'*ity*rJ>^' 


MUr  ■*-!■. ;: *.A-:--'ii»;^'*lS.:'^''iy^ 


m 


SANTO  DOMINGO  231 

impression  in  their  country  that  the  remains  were  yet  in 
Havana.  This  is  not  the  view  taken  by  impartial  investi- 
gators, who  are  convinced  that  while  the  Spaniards  found 
nothing  at  all  in  support  of  their  contention,  having  only 
ancient  tradition  to  guide  them,  the  Dominicans,  on  the 
contrary,  discovered  the  vault  containing  the  real  and  only 
"legitimate"  remains.  "The  error  of  the  Spaniards  lay  in 
their  ignorance  of  the  fact  that  there  were  two  vaults,  closely 
contiguous,  both  under  the  chancel,  both  on  the  'gospel' 
side  of  the  altar ;  but  the  one  opened  by  the  Dominicans 
contained  actual  inscriptions  and  remains,  and  was  nearer 
the  wall.  The  Spaniards  doubtless  exhumed  and  carried 
away  the  ashes  of  Don  Diego  instead  of  his  father's  re- 
mains, having  had  no  evidence  in  favour  of  the  latter,  and 
being  wholly  unaware  of  another  vault  close  at  hand." 

Accepting  the  evidence  in  support  of  the  Dominicans'  claim 
— and  there  seems  to  be  none  to  the  contrary — the  relics 
taken  to  Havana  with  so  much  pomp,  says  a  native  historian, 
must  have  been  those  of  Don  Diego,  son  of  the  great  dis- 
coverer, who,  during  his  term  as  governor  of  Hispaniola 
(or  Santo  Domingo),  greatly  promoted  the  colonisation  of 
Cuba.  This  being  true,  he  continues  naively,  it  seems,  after 
all,  most  fitting  that  Cuba  should  have  secured  the  relics  of 
one  who  was  identified  so  closely  with  her  colonisation  and 
that  Santo  Domingo  should  be  allowed  to  retain  ( though 
unwittingly)  those  of  the  great  man  who  founded  the  first 
city  on  her  soil,  and  whose  last  wish  was  that  he  might  rest 
forever  in  her  embrace.  Since  that  time,  however,  those 
Columbian  remains  (or  fragments  of  a  leaden  case  and 
bones)  have  made  still  another  voyage  to  Spain,  having  been 
taken  by  the  Spaniards,  on  their  evacuation  of  Cuba,  in  1899. 
to  Seville,  and  there  deposited  by  the  side  of  Don  Fernando, 
Columbus's  illegitimate  son. 

Now.  while  the  reader  has  the  privilege  of  choosing  between 
the  two  remains,  the  Dominican  and  the  Spanish  (as  to  which 
is  really  genuine),  he  may  at  least  inspect  the  vaults  from 
which  they  were  taken,  as  shown  by  the  sacristan  of  the 
cathedral,  both  being  at  the  right  (facing  the  nave)  of  the 
high  altar.  He  may  also  view,  on  certain  days,  the  casket 
in  which  the  latest  "find"   was  contained,  and  cannot  but 


232  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST   INDIES 

admire  the  beautiful  mausoleum,  with  its  exquisite  sculptures, 
which  holds  the  unia,  or  casket,  of  crj^stal  containing  the  last 
restos  de  Colon. 

Excursions  from  Santo  Domingo  City,  on  the  Ozama 
River — beautiful  tropical  scenery,  interesting  sugar  planta- 
tions, such  as  the  Bass  Plantation,  with  its  high-class  sugar 
works,  miles  of  railways  for  transportation  of  sugar  cane,  etc. 

Caves  of  Santa  Anna,  near  the  suburb  of  San  Carlos,  are 
large  and  attractive ;  said  to  have  been  the  resort  of  abor- 
igines, as  relics  of  the  Indians  have  been  found  there.  A  few 
miles  distant,  also,  are  subterranean  springs  {"Ojos  de 
agua")  which  send  out  three  large  streams — a  triple  fountain 
of  purest  water.  Waterfalls  and  cascades  are  numerous 
throughout  the  Republic,  such  as  the  Salto  de  la  Tama,  in 
San  Cristobal;  de  los  Cocas,  Samana ;  del  Violon  and  las 
Mameyes,  in  Puerto  Plata  district.  Rivers  abound  every- 
where, and  all  are  beautiful. 

Settlements  of  the  South  Coast.  The  territory  of  Santo 
Domingo  is  divided  into  four  great  regions,  namely,  the 
Cibao,  or  north  country,  between  the  central  Cordilleras  and 
the  north  coast ;  the  Capital,  a  province  composed  of  the 
city  of  Santo  Domingo  and  contiguous  territory;  the  East, 
or  the  provinces  of  Seybo  and  Higuey ;  and  the  South,  which 
is  actually  the  West,  or  Southwest;  and  the  districts  of  Azua 
and  Barahona,  lying  in  the  direction  of  and  contiguous  to 
the  Haitian  border. 

The  city  of  Santo  Domingo,  containing  about  20,000  popu- 
lation, we  have  already  described.  From  this  city,  as  men- 
tioned, three  great  highways  lead  east,  north,  and  west, 
connecting  the  Capital  with  all  the  chief  places;  but  by  means 
of  roadways  which  are  a  disgrace  to  Dominican  civilisa- 
tion. The  coast  towns  may  be  reached  by  infrequent 
steamers  and  by  sailing  craft.  The  nearest  settlement  to 
the  Capital  is  the  suburb  of  San  Carlos,  a  commune  of  about 
6,000  people,  but  scarcely  interesting  to  the  traveller,  though 
it  has  some  old  structures.  It  has  suffered  greatly  in  the 
various  and  frequent  "revolutions,"  when  the  paisanos,  find- 
ing their  progress  arrested  by  the  solid  walls  of.  Santo 
Domingo,  wreaked  their  rage  upon  defenceless  San   Carlos. 

At  28  kilometers  distance  we  find  the  interesting  settlement 


SANTO  DOMINGO  233 

of  San  Cristobal,  the  scene  of  historical  events,  and  pic- 
turesquely situated,  containing  in  its  commune  some  25,000 
people.  A  railroad  has  been  projected  to  San  Cristobal,  but 
at  present  writing  (1907)  it  can  be  reached  only  by  the 
ordinary  highway  of  the  country.  At  little  more  than  twice 
the  distance  between  the  capital  and  San  Cristobal,  and 
farther  south,  on  the  coast,  we  find  the  important  town  of 
Bani,  founded  in  1764,  and  charmingly  situated  in  a  valley 
near  the  sea.  It  is  locally  famous  for  the  salubrity  of  its 
climate,  the  beauty  of  its  women,  and  the  valour  of  its  men, 
having  been  the  birthplace  of  General  Maximo  Gomez,  the 
liberator  of  Cuba;  a  President  of  the  Republic,  Don  Francisco 
Billini ;  and  his  brother,  cleric  and  philanthropist,  the  Rev. 
F.  X.  Billini. 

The  most  important  place  on  this  south  coast  is  Azua,  dis- 
tant 134  kilometers  from  the  Capital,  which  was  founded  in 
1504  by  Don  Diego  Velasquez,  w-ho  later  became  the  con- 
queror of  Cuba.  In  this  region  also  at  one  time  lived  Her- 
nando Cortes,  afterward  the  conqueror  of  Mexico ;  Pizarro, 
of  Peruvian  fame ;  and  Balboa,  discoverer  of  the  Pacific". 
The  ancient  town  was  established  at  a  place  about  3  miles 
to  the  south  of  the  present  Azua,  but  removed  on  account  of 
earthquakes.  It  suffers  from  a  scarcity  of  water,  but  of 
late  has  been  supplied  by  means  of  artesian  wells,  which 
have  tapped  a  bountiful  source  of  supply  at  a  depth  of 
60  to  70  feet.  By  means  of  irrigation,  great  crops  of  sugar- 
cane are  raised  on  the  adjacent  plantations,  some  of  them 
producing  immense  stalks  of -cane  year  after  year  without 
replanting.  Northeast  of  Azua,  in  the  mountains,  at  114  kilo- 
meters from  the  Capital,  lies  the  hamlet  of  Maniel,  at  an 
elevation  so  great  that  the  climate  is  always  cool  and  re- 
freshing. Its  principal  productions  are  coffee,  cacao,  and 
other  tropical  fruits;  but  the  apple  also  grows  here,  and  the 
potato,    indicating   the   temperate   character   of   the    climate. 

Eighty  kilometers  northwest  of  Azua  and  214  from  the 
Capital  is  a  most  interesting  settlement  with  an  aboriginal 
foundation,  called  San  Juan  de  la  Maguana.  It  was  here 
that  a  famous  chieftain.  Caonabo,  a  Carib  warrior  much 
feared  by  the  Spaniards,  had  his  residence  when  the  Euro- 
peans first  came  to  the  island.     Near  the  town,  which  with 

4 


234  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST   INDIES 

its  environs  contains  about  20,000  inhabitants,  and  was 
founded  in  1504,  are  the  remains  of  an  ancient  avenue,  circu- 
lar in  shape,  paved  with  stone,  which  the  natives  call  "el 
corral  de  los  Indios."  It  is  not  known  what  it  was  used  for, 
but  is  supposed  to  have  been  a  rallying-place  for  war  or  for 
worship.  Beyond  San  Juan  the  country  is  almost  as  wild 
as  in  the  time  of  its  conquest,  yet  the  town  of  Banica,  some 
40  miles  farther  toward  the  Haitian  frontier,  was  founded 
in  1504  by  Velasquez.  It  is  scarcely  of  more  importance 
to-day  than  then,  and  the  roads  leading  to  and  beyond  it 
are  in  no  better  condition,  so  that  the  vast  resources  of  this 
district,  consisting  of  precious  woods,  etc.,  cannot  be  profit- 
ably exploited.  Throughout  this  great  valley,  indeed,  which 
is  watered  by  rivers  discharging  into  the  Caribbean  Sea 
south  of  the  island,  and  others,  like  the  Artibonito,  flowing 
into  the  Haitian  Gulf,  there  has  been  little  advance  since 
the  Spaniards  wrested  it  from  the  Indians  more  than  400 
years  ago. 

Barahona,  distant  from  the  Capital  about  204  kilometers,  is 
the  chief  town  in  a  district  of  the  same  name,  containing 
about  45.000  inhabitants,  and  situated  near  the  mouth  of  the 
great  river  Yaqui  of  the  South.  Northeast  of  Barahona, 
about  80  kilometers  west  of  Azua  and  216  from  the  Capital, 
is  Neyba.  containing,  in  town  and  commune,  some  10,000 
people.  .  The  great  Yaqui  of  the  South  flows  into  the  bay  of 
Neyba,  east  of  which,  with  waters  commingling,  is  the  Bay 
of  Ocoa,  near  which  Azua  is  situated.  These  waters  are 
historic  from  their  association  with  such  names  as  Bartholo- 
mew and  Christopher  Columbus,  Cortes,  Balboa,  Ojeda, 
Pizarro,  and  a  host  of  other  Spaniards,  who  crossed  them  in 
pursuit  of  treasure 'and  conquest. 

The  town  of  Neyba  lies  near  the  eastern  shore  of  Lake 
Enriquillo,  which  is  the  centre  of  the  aboriginal  Xaragua 
country,  where  at  one  time  dwelt  an  Indian  queen,  Anacaona, 
who  was  famous  for  her  beauty.  She  was  visited  by  Bar- 
tholomew Columbus,  and  hanged  by  Governor  Ovando,  who 
also  massacred  thousands  of  her  subjects.  To  the  south  of 
Neyba  lies  the  lake  of  Rincon.  which  is  said  to  contain  not 
only  fish  such  as  inhabit  fresh  waters,  but  also  gigantic 
specimens  of  salt-water  fish,  which  somehow  were  segre- 
t 


SANTO  DOMINGO  235 

gated  there  and  have  since  become  adapted  to  their  environ- 
ment. 

West  of  Rincon  rises  the  wonderful  Ccrro  de  Sal,  or  Hill 
of  Salt,  and  south  is  a  desolate  region  as  yet  hardly  explored. 
Two  trails  may  be  pursued  around  Lake  Enriquillo,  beyond 
the  northwestern  extremity  of  which  is  the  Haitian  frontier, 
not  far  distant  from  Port  au  Prince,  where  all  the  names  of 
places  change  from  Spanish  to  French.  Port  au  Prince  can 
be  reached  by  this  route  from  the  south  coast  of  Santo 
Domingo ;  but  it  is  not  recommended. 

East  End  of  the  Island.  There  are  few  places  of  im- 
portance in  the  east  part  of  the  island,  commercially  speak- 
ing, the  largest  being  San  Pedro  dc  Macoris,  on  the  south 
coast,  y2  kilometers  east  of  the  Capital.  It  is  situated  on  the 
east  bank  of  the  Higuamo  estuary,  has  a  fine  port,  and  is  the 
centre  of  a  vast  sugar-cane  country,  with  a  population,  com- 
prising port  and  commune,  of  about  15,000.  It  is  one  of  the 
most  enterprising  places  in  the  island,  and  is  of  comparatively 
recent  foundation.  A  road  of  the  Dominican  variety  con- 
nects with  the  Capital,  but  the  usual  means  of  conveyance 
are  afforded  by  small  steamer,  freighters,  and  sailing  craft. 
The  annual  export  of  sugar  from  this  port  exceeds  that  from 
any  other  in  the  Republic,  amounting  to  more  than  half 
a  million  quintals.  Northwest  of  Macoris  is  San  Jose  de  los 
Llanos,  26  kilometers  distant,  and  from  the  Capital  52  kilo- 
meters. It  was  founded  in  the  eighteenth  century,  and  lies 
in  the  centre  of  a  vast  agricultural  region,  on  the  west  bank 
of  the  Higuamo. 

The  chief  settlement  of  the  eastern  region,  which  anciently 
was  known  as  Higuey,  is  Santa  Cmz  del  Seyho,  120  kilo- 
meters from  Santo  Domingo  City,  and  containing,  with  its 
commune,  about  15.000  inhabitants.  It  is  one  of  the  oldest  cities 
here,  having  been  founded  in  1502  by  Juan  de  Esquivel,  after 
he  and  Ponce  de  Leon  had  ravaged  the  region  roundabout 
and  conquered  the  Indian  inhabitants.  Many  great  fights  have 
•occurred  on  the  savannas  adjoining  Seybo,  and  it  is  truly  an 
historic  centre.  The  very  easternmost  settlement  of  any  size 
is  Salvaleon  de  Higuey,  which  was  founded  by  Ponce  de 
Leon  soon  after  Seybo  was  settled.  It  lies  at  a  distance  of 
156  kilometers  from  the  Capital,  and  from  its  heights  Ponce 


236  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST   INDIES 

de  Leon  is  said  to  have  looked  across  the  sea  channel  of 
Mona  to  Porto  Rico,  which  he  was  to  conquer  and  govern. 
It  is  about  70  kilometers  from  the  coast,  and  is  pleasantly 
situated  at  the  confluence  of  two  rivers,  which  form  the 
Yuna  of  the  South.  All  around  it  is  a  wild  and  historic 
country,  for  here  lived  the  great  Indian  cacique  Cotubanama, 
who  fought  the  Spaniards  bravely  until  killed.  He  was 
captured  on  the  island  of  Saona,  off  the  coast  directly  south 
of  Higuey,  where  are  caves  in  which  he  and  his  people  hid 
from  their  pursuers.  Mines  of  gold  are  worked  at  Bonao, 
not  far  distant,  and  the  region  is  celebrated  for  the  excellence 
of  its  cacao.  Town  and  commune  are  said  to  contain. 15. 000 
inhabitants.  The  place  is  noted  far  and  wide  in  Santo 
Domingo  for  its  image  of  the  "Virgin  of  Altagracia,"  to 
visit  and  worship  which  many  thousand  people  make  annual 
pilgrimages. 

Hato  Mayor,  with  about  10.000  inhabitants,  lies  92  kilo- 
meters northeast  of  the  Capital  and  40  west  of  Seybo,  on  the 
main  road.  Its  wealth  is  derived  from  the  soil,  mainly 
agricultural.  La  Romana  is  a  recently-founded  settlement  on 
an  excellent  natural  harbour,  which  is  to  be  connected  by 
rail  with  Seybo,  from  which  it  is  distant  only  44  kilometers, 
and  from  the  Capital  120,  in  a  direct  line.  Villa  Duarte, 
on  the  east  bank  of  the  Ozama  River,  not  far  from  the  orig- 
inal site  of  the  Capital,  is  the  chief  settlement  of  a  commune 
containing  some  10,000  people,  and  generally  known  as 
Pajarito.  Here  stands  the  ancient  chapel  which  was  built 
in  the  time  of  Columbus,  to  which  reference  has  been  made. 
A  sugar  plantation  surrounds  it,  at  the  extreme  tip  of  which, 
near  the  sea,  may  be  found  the  ruins  of  the  first  settlement 
and  Spanish  tower,  erected  about  1496.  In  this  territory,  .about 
an  hour's  walk  from  the  Capital,  are  the  wonderful  caverns 
of  Trcs  Ojos,  which  contain  three  small  lakes  in  their 
depths,  of  clear  crystalline  water. 

San  Antonio  dc  Guerra,  30  kilometers  from  the  Capital,  was 
founded  at  the  beginning  of  the  eighteenth  century,  and  con- 
tains about  3.000  inhabitants.  It  is  celebrated  for  its  beauti- 
ful lagoons  of  potable  water.  By  means  of  the  river  Yabacoa 
the  natives  carry  on  an  extensive  traffic  in  canoes  with  the 
Capital. 


SANTO  DOMINGO  237 

Bayaguana,  48  kilometers  from  the  Capital,  is  near  the 
picturesque  waterfall  of  Comate,  in  the  river  of  that  name, 
and  was  founded  in  1606  by  people  from  two  seaports  which 
were  destroyed  by  order  of  Philip  III.  in  order  to  check 
smuggling  from  foreign  ships.  It  contains  about  2,500  inhab- 
itants, chiefly  engaged  in  the  cultivation  of  cacao. 

Monte  Plata,  45  kilometers  north  of  the  Capital,  was  also 
founded  in  1606,  by  people  who  had  been  banished  from 
Monte  Cristi  and  Puerta  Plata,  for  the  same  causes  men- 
tioned above.     It  has  about  4,000  inhabitants. 

Villa  Mela,  formerly  Sahana  Grande,  is  a  settlement  of 
recent  foundation,  but  already  counts  about  3,500  inhabitants, 
owing  to  its  excellent  soil  and  situation  on  the  national  road 
from  the  Cibao  to  the  Capital. 

Boya,  with  about  3,000  inhabitants,  52  kilometers  north- 
northeast  of  the  Capital,  is  a  historic  settlement,  having  been 
founded  in  1533  by  the  Cacique  Enriquillo,  who  had  carried 
on  a  successful  rebellion  against  the  Spaniards.  He  was 
assigned  a  reservation  here  by  treaty  with  Charles  V.  of 
Spain,  and  gathered  about  him  the  remnant  of  his  people, 
then  reduced  from  estimated  millions,  at  the  time  Columbus 
landed  in  the  island,  to  a  few  hundred.  There  are  no 
Indians  remaining,  it  is  said,  of  direct  aboriginal  descent, 
but  many  natives  in  whose  veins  runs  their  blood,  mingled 
with  that  of  Spaniard  and  African.  The  old  church  in  which 
Enriquillo  and  his  people  worshipped  still  stands,  a  quaint 
and  interesting  monument  of  that  early  period  of  Dominican 
history.  It  is  of  stone,  and  in  style  of  architecture  com- 
posite aboriginal  Gothic.  The  lands  adjacent  are  fertile  and 
the  scenery  picturesque. 

The  North  Coast.  Bay  of  Samana.  Samana  Bay,  north- 
east coast  of  Santo  Domingo,  constitutes  in  its  entirety  one 
of  the  largest  and  finest  harbours  in  the  world.  The  penin- 
sula of  Samana  on  the  north,  which  protects  it  from  the 
ocean,  is  40  miles  in  length  and  surpassingly  beautiful. 
Rounding  Balandra  Head,  which  is  the  seaward  face  of 
Alount  Diablo,  1,500  feet  in  altitude,  the  steamer  passes 
cliffs  and  beaches,  alternating,  hung  with  vines  and  over- 
topped by  cocoa-palms,  the  real  harbour  being  found  a  few 
miles  within  the  Gulf,  at  Santa  Barbara.     Samana  Bay,  or 


238  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST  INDIES 

Gulf,  from  its  strategic  situation,  in  a  direct  line  between 
the  Atlantic  ports  of  the  United  States  and  Panama,  com- 
manding both  the  Mona  and  the  more  distant  Windward 
Passage,  possesses  every  qualification  for  a  great  coaling  and 
naval  station,  and  has  long  attracted  the  attention  of  foreign 
nations.  It  has  many  natural  advantages,  but  above  all,  deep 
water  and  a  commanding  position.  Since  the  United  States 
acquired  Porto  Rico  the  need  of  another  naval  station  in 
these  waters  is  no  longer  imperative ;  but  there  is  none  other 
that  possesses  all  the  advantages  provided  by  Samana.  If 
the  peninsula  alone  could  be  acquired,  with  free  scope  in 
the  waters  adjacent,  the  United  States  would  then  have  deep 
and  capacious  harbours,  numerous  ridges  capable  of  being' 
impregnably  fortified,  and  a  salubrious  region  for  camps  and 
settlements. 

Santa  Barbara  de  Samana.  The  actual  port  of  Samana 
pertains  to  the  small  but  very  picturesque  town  of  Santa 
Barbara,  the  political  and  natural  capital  of  the  peninsula. 
It  is  guarded  on  the  north  by  high  hills,  and  at  its  feet 
opens  a  landlocked  harbour,  a  perfect  cul-de-sac,  separated 
from  the  great  Gulf  by  the  islet  of  Carenero.  It  is  distant 
from  the  Capital,  northeast.  126  kilometers;  but  the  journey 
thither  overland  is  difficult  and  rarely  performed,  the  sea-trip 
by  steamer  being  preferable. 

A  line  of  reef-connected  islets  protects  the  inner  harbour, 
where  are  secure  anchorages  for  large  steamers,  even  in  the 
most  stormy  weather,  a  narrow  opening  toward  the  east 
giving  ingress  and  egress.  The  steep  hillsides  to  the  north 
are  cultivated  to  their  summits,  and  present  beautiful  sites 
for  residences ;  the  valley  lands  are  very  fertile,  the  palm- 
fringed  beaches  of  fine  sand  are  delightful  for  bathing,  the 
little  harbour  and  the  bay  perfectly  adapted  for  boating,  and 
.the  reefs  for  shell-hunting  and  fishing.  Santa  Barbara  has 
all  the  requisites  for  a  delightful  winter  resort,  except  the 
very  necessary  hotels  and  boarding-houses.  These  are  lack- 
ing; but  where  nature  has  done  so  much,  these  desiderata 
might  easily  be  supplied.  The  winter  climate  is  perfect,  the 
scenery  entrancing ;  but  the  inland  roads  and  trails  are  not 
inviting  to  the  ease-loving  tourist. 

Added  to  the   scenic  attractions^   there  is  a  bit  of  history 


SANTO  DOMINGO  239 

wliich  Samana  can  claim  exclusively,  for  the  great  bay  was 
visited  by  Columbus  on  his  return  from  the  first  voyage  to 
America.  It  was  in  January,  1493,  that  his  two  caravels 
rounded  Balandra  Head  and  made  a  landing  at  a  little  cove 
which  he  subsequently  called  the  "Bay  of  Arrows,"  from  the 
fact  that  the  Indians  he  found  here  literally  showered  his 
landing-party  with  their  missiles.  Here  the  first  blood  was 
shed  in  an  encounter  between  Europeans  and  Indians  in 
America — unless  w-e  except  the  alleged  affrays  between  the 
Norsemen  and  the  Skrellings,  on  the  coast  of  Massachusetts, 
400  years  before.  The  Indians  finally  were  placated,  and 
after  Columbus  had  secured  some  specimens  of  gold  and 
a  few  men  to  guide  him  to  the  Isle  of  the  Amazons,  he 
sailed  away,  eventually  to  arrive  at  his  home  port  without 
another  landing  in  the  New  World  on  that  voyage. 

Santa  Barbara  is  a  few  miles  distant  from  the  Bahia  dc  las 
flecJms,  or  Bay  of  Arrows,  for  which  a  boat  and  men  may 
be  obtained  at  the  harbour.  It  is  a  pleasant  sail  thither, 
past  curving  beaches  backed  by  tropical  trees  and  vines,  and 
one  the  visitor  should  not  miss,  for  its  own  sake,  even  if  the 
historic  association  does  not  prove  attractive. 

The  town  was  founded  in  1756,  by  Canary  Islanders,  but 
received  a  notable  addition  to  its  population  in  1825,  at 
which  time  arrived  many  black  and  coloured  immigrants  from 
the  United  States,  whose  descendants  still  speak  English  and 
profess  the  Protestant  religion.  They  are  the  most  peaceable 
and  industrious  citizens  of  the  Dominican  Republic,  a  former 
president  once  told  the  writer,  and  many  of  them  have 
acquired  w^ealth  by  the  cultivation  of  tropical  fruits,  like 
cocoa,  cacao,  bananas,  etc.  The  total  population  of  Santa 
Barbara  and  its  environs  is  about  8,000.  It  is  the  opinion  of 
those  acquainted  wnth  the  resources  of  the  country  that  the 
Samana  Peninsula  and  contiguous  territory  inland  possess 
great  possibilities  for  exploitation. 

Port  of  Sanchez  and  Railroad.  The  port  of  Sanchez,  or 
Las  Canitas,  as  it  was  formerly  called,  lies  at  the  extreme 
northwestern  end  of  the  Gulf,  40  kilometers  from  Santa 
Barbara  and  120  from  the  Capital,  in  a  direct  line — which, 
however,  cannot  be  followed  as  a  route  between  these  two 
places.     Sanchez  is  of  recent  foundation,  yet  it  is  the  busiest 


240  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST  INDIES 

place  on  the  north  coast,  perhaps  excepting  Puerto  Plata,  on 
account  of  the  railroad  which  runs  from  the  Gulf  at  this 
point  to  the  interior.  Sanchez  of  itself  is  not  a  very  cheerful 
place  of  residence,  but  the  hills  back  of  it  are  beautiful, 
some  of  the  adjacent  beaches  attractive.  It  lies  near  the 
mouth  of  a  great  river,  the  Yuma  of  the  North,  which  swarms 
with  alligators  and  water-fowl,  and  runs  through  a  country 
abounding  in  natural  resources.  The  water  is  shallow  at 
Sanchez,  however,  and  there  is  no  fine  harbour  as  at  Santa 
Barbara — where,  in  fact,  the  railroad  referred  to  should  have 
had  its  terminus.  There  is  one  small  hotel  at  Sanchez,  the 
Nagens,  at  $2.25  per  day,  and  board  may  be  obtained  at  two 
or  three  private  houses  on  inquiry  of  the  railroad  officials. 
Sanchez  is  chiefly  of  importance  as  an  outlet  to  a  vast  valley 
lying  between  the  Sierra  de  Monte  Cristi,  or  coast  range 
of  great  hills,*  and  the  central  Cordillera  of  the  island.  This 
valley  or  plain  extends  from  the  Gulf  of  Samana  in  the 
east  to  Manzanillo  Bay  in  the  northwest,  a  distance  of 
120  miles  in  a  straight  line,  and  with  a  varying  width  of  from 
30  to  50  miles.  It  is  one  of  the  most  beautiful,  and,  with 
reference  to  its  fertility,  one  of  the  richest  valleys  in  the 
world. 
The  first  railroad  in  active  operation  in  this  island  was  that 
which  now  connects  the  port  of  Sanchez  with  the  town  of 
La  Vega,  about  60  miles  inland.  The  concession  was  first 
given  to  an  American  in  1882,  but  in  1883  it  fell  into  the 
hands  of  an  energetic  Scotchman,  IMr.  Alexander  Baird,  who, 
with  his  own  resources  solely,  pushed  it  through  to  com- 
pletion as  far  as  it  runs  to-day.  The  creation  of  a  port  at 
Las  Canitas,  since  christened  Sanchez,  was  the  least  of  the 
labours  attendant  upon  this  great  work,  as  a  nine-mile  swamp 
was  encountered  at  the  outset  which  necessitated  filling  to 
the  depth  of  15  to  20  feet.  It  was  completed  in  1885,  and 
has  ever  since  been  regularly  running,  to  the  great  benefit 
of  this  vast  valley  and  contiguous  territory.  Sanchez  is  the 
capital  of  a  commune  containing  some  3,000  inhabitants,  who 
are  chiefly  supported  by  commerce  carried  on  with  the  in- 
terior, and  the  ports  dependent  upon  this  one  for  supplies. 
Sabana  del  Mar.  Before  proceeding  inland,  let  us  glance 
at  another  port  of  Samana,  which  is  the  only  other  of  im- 


SANTO  DOMINGO  241 

portance,  and  lies  on  the  south  shore  of  the  Gulf.  This  is 
Sahana  del  Mar,  which  was  founded  in  1756,  and  is  capital 
of  a  commune  with  3.000  people.  It  is  about  100  kilometers 
distant  from  the  Capital,  and  when  a  projected  railroad 
shall  be  constructed  between  these  two  ports,  one  on  the 
north  and  the  other  on  the  south  coast,  will  be  a  place  of 
consequence.  At  present  it  is  celebrated  for  its  tropical 
fruits,  particularly  cacao,  bananas  and  such,  and  for  the 
herds  of  cattle  which  graze  its  broad  savannas. 
The  Samana-La  Vega  Railway.  An  enterprise  like  this, 
which  entailed  at  the  outset  an  expenditure  of  more  than 
$2,000,000,  could  not  but  benefit  the  territory  adjacent; 
though,  owing  to  the  Dominican  character,  its  beneficial  re- 
sults are  more  apparent  than  real.  The  road  at  first  runs 
through  the  lowland  region  wnth  every  variety  of  tropical 
vegetation  to  attract  attention,  but  the  straggling  villages 
along  the  line  are  far  from  attractive  or  promising.  The 
place  of  most  consequence  is  Concepcion  de  la  Vega,  a  large 
and  scattering  town  of  huts  and  wooden  houses,  which  does 
a  great  deal  of  business,  being  the  market  and  railroad  centre 
for  a  vast  region  adjacent.  The  population  is  said  to  be 
about  30,000,  is  coloured  in  the  main ;  but  there  are  some 
white  people  intermixed,  whose  ancestry  belonged  to  the 
Spanish  liidalguia,  or  nobility.  The  first  Concepcion  de  la 
Vega  was  founded  by  Bartholomew  Columbus,  in  1495,  but 
the  present  settlement  is  the  second  to  bear  the  name,  having 
been  removed  to  the  right  bank  of  the  river  Camu,  a  trib- 
utary of  the  Yuma,  in  1564.  The  lands  around  it  are  fertile 
and  capable  of  producing  any  kind  of  tropical  fruit  or 
vegetable.  It  is  distant  from  Sanchez  about  100  kilometers, 
and  from  the  Capital  about  140.  To  make  the  journey  from 
La  Vega  to  Santo  Domingo  City  three  days  are  generally 
consumed,  as  the  road  is  a  very  poor  one  and  traversable 
only  on  horseback.  If  the  trip  be  made  in  the  wet  season, 
five  days  will  be  necessary,  as  the  rivers  are  then  in  flood. 
It  is,  however,  perfectly  safe  for  horsemen,  and  there  is 
telegraphic  and  telephonic  communication  at  various  points 
on  the  way.  There  are  no  good  hotels  en  route,  but  enter- 
tainment for  man  and  beast,  a  la  Arab  fondouk,  may  be 
had  at  Cotui,  52  kilometers  southeast  of  La  Vega,  and  at 


242  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST   INDIES 

Antonsi.  This  road,  like  that  between  La  Vega  and  Santiago 
de  los  Caballeros,  is  in  about  the  same  condition  as  it  was 
at  the  time  of  Columbus,  whose  brother  Bartholomew  was 
one  of  the  first  white  men  to  traverse  it,  between  1494 
and  1496.  Around  the  level  and  extensive  plain,  which  is  sit- 
uated in  a  bend  of  the  river  Camu.  is  a  beautiful  range  of 
pine-covered  hills,  the  vegetation  of  two  zones  meeting  mid- 
way and  blending  the  pine  and  the  palm.  Hotels:  Ayuso 
(Spanish).  $2  per  day;  Clamens  (French),  $2.50 — a  very 
good  place. 

Jarabacao  is  a  valley  at  high  altitude,  about  30  kilometers 
distance  from  La  Vega,  in  the  mountains,  and  almost  within 
view,  where,  owing  to  the  coolness  of  the  climate,  fruits  and 
vegetables  of  the  temperate  zone  are  grown  in  profusion,  as 
well  as  those  of  the  sub-tropic  regions.  It  lies  at  the  con- 
fluence of  the  Yerbabuena  with  the  Yaqui  of  the  North. 
and  occupies  a  superb  situation,  though  the  settlement  is 
miserably  poor.  This  valley  and  that  of  Constanza,  many 
leagues  to  the  south,  but  also  in  the  mountains,  were  retreats 
of  the  Indians,  many  relics  of  whom  have  been  discovered 
in  the  forest.  There  is  a  magnificent  cataract  at  Constanza, 
at  a  height  of  3,000  feet  above  the  sea. 

Cotiii,  at  52  kilometers  from  La  Vega  and  96  north  of  the 
Capital,  was  founded  in  1505.  and  is  thus  more  than  400  years 
old  as  a  settlement,  though  it  has  been  unprogressive  for 
centuries.  At  that  time  it  was  celebrated  for  its  stores  of 
gold,  silver,  and  copper,  from  which  circumstance  it  was 
also  called  Las  Minas,  or  the  IMines.  There  are  said  to  be 
10.000  people  in  town  and  commune ;  but  statistics  of  this 
sort  are  unreliable. 

Bonao,  southwest  of  Cotui  and  44  kilometers  south  of 
La  Vega,  is  another  ancient  mining  town  which  has  decayed 
since  the  mines  became  unproductive ;  but  at  the  time  Colum- 
bus exacted  tribute  from  the  Indians  it  contained  a  fort  to 
defend  the  mines  and  compel  the  tribute. 

San  Francisco  de  Macoris,  a  small  but  beautifully  located 
town,  lies  in  the  shadow  of  the  Monte  Cristi  range,  and  is 
connected  with  La  Vega  by  a  branch  line,  which  is  said  to 
be  the  best-paying  part  of  the  road.  It  is  very  rich  in  the 
variety  and  quantity  of  its  agricultural  products,  the  fertile 


SANTO  DOMINGO  243 

soil  yielding  cacao,  especially,  of  the  best  quality.  Many  of 
its  inhabitants,  reputed  to  be  30,000  in  number — town  and 
commune — are  of  high-class  Spanish  extraction,  and  the 
ladies  are  locally  famous  for  their  beauty. 

Moca,  town  and  commune,  about  midway  between  Macoris 
and  Santiago,  said  to  contain  30,000  inhabitants,  is  very 
similar  to  IMacoris  in  general  features,  productions,  anci» 
population.  It  is  to  be  connected  with  Santiago  by  rail, 
whenever  the  government  official  who  has  the  concession  shall 
have  accumulated  dinero  enough  to  biiild  the  same,  and 
thence  extended  to  Monte  Cristi.  A  former  president  of 
the  Republic,  General  Ulises  Heureaux,  was  assassinated 
here  in  1899. 

Santo  Cerro,  or  the  Holy  Hill,  of  Santo  Domingo,  about 
2  leagues  distant  from  La  Vega,  with  which  it  is  connected 
by  a  road,  good  in  the  dry  season,  but  hardly  more  than  a 
bridle  trail  at  best,  is  one  of  the  greatest  natural  attractions 
in  the  island.  It  is  also  held  in  reverence  because  of  a 
miraculous  occurrence  here  in  1494.  Rising  about  600  feet 
above  the  great  Vega  Real,  or  Royal  Plain  (a  name  applied 
by  Columbus  to  this  vast  valley  between  La  Vega  and  Santi- 
ago), it  commands  a  glorious  view  of  palm-covered  savannas, 
tree-crowned  hills  and  sparkling  rivers. 

The  prospect  from  the  summit  of  the  Cerro  is  one  of  the 
grandest  in  America,  or  rather  the  most  beautiful.  When 
Columbus  came  here  in  1495,  intent  upon  the  subjugation 
of  the  Indians,  he  was  at  first  received  with  hospitality ;  but 
a  battle  eventuated,  during  which  he  occupied  a  position  on 
the  crest  of  the  hill,  beneath  a  great  nispero  tree,  the  re- 
mains of  which  are  visible  to-day.  He  watched  his  mail- 
clad  soldiers  massacre  the  defenceless  Indians,  his  blood- 
hounds tear  them  limb  from  limb,  and  in  gratitude  to  God 
for  his  victory  he  erected  a  cross  near  by  to  commemorate 
the  event.  After  he  and  his  men  had  left  the  place  some 
Indians  espied  this  cross  and  approached  to  revile  it.  As 
they  did  so,  local  tradition  states,  the  figure  of  a  woman 
descended  from  the  clouds  and  alighted  on  an  arm  of  the 
cross.  The  stones  they  cast  and  the  arrows  they  shot  passed 
through  her  without  inflicting  any  harm,  and  recognising  the 
celestial  origin  of  this  apparition,  they  fell  down  and  wor- 


244  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST   INDIES 

shipped  on  the  spot.  This  was  the  miracle  that  made  the 
cross  (a  fragment  of  which  is  enshrined  in  the  cathedral 
at  the  Capital)  a  most  holy  relic. 

This  hill  where  Columbus  stood  and  where  the  miracle  took 
place  is  thus  a  sacred  spot,  dear  to  all  the  natives,  who  come 
here  on  pilgrimages,  walking  on  their  knees  from  base  to 
summit,  w^here  stands  a  church  which  was  erected  with  the 
contributions  of  the  faithful.  The  hill  itself  is  half  covered 
with  a  tropic  forest  growth  and  crowned  by  the  church,  or 
chapel,  the  view  from  which,  as  already  mentioned,  is  one 
of  the  world's  most  entrancing  pictures.  From  a  height 
of  600  feet  one  looks  down  upon  an  immense  area  of  tropical 
gardens  occupied  by  palm-thatched  huts,  flaming  with  the 
vivid  crimson  of  flamboyant  trees,  forests  of  royal  palms, 
cocoas,  groves  of  cacao,  coffee,  plantains  and  bananas ;  and 
beyond  this  plain  of  paradise  rises  the  grand  Monte  Cristi 
range.  The  valley  is  populous,  yet  appears  unoccupied ;  it 
is  fertile,  yet  hardly  cultivated;  beautiful  as  a  dream  of 
heaven,  yet  with  few  who  can  appreciate  that  beauty  ever 
to  look  upon  it. 

Fort  Concepcion.  About  2  miles  from  the  base  of  Santo 
Cerro  are  the  ruins  of  a  fort  which  was  erected  by  Colum- 
bus in  1495,  and  named  by  him  Concepcion  de  la  Vega. 
Around  it  gathered  the  settlement  to  w'hich  reference  has 
been  made,  and  which  was  destroyed  by  an  earthquake 
in  1564.  Near  it  was  at  one  time  a  large  convent,  now  in 
ruins,  in  which  it  was  the  desire  of  Columbus  that  his  re- 
mains should  be  deposited,  as  expressed  in  his  last  will  and 
testament.  A  chapel  was  also  built  here,  the  first  to  be 
erected  after  that  of  Isabella,  1493.  When  Isabella  was 
abandoned  the  bell  that  had  hung  in  its  tower  and  which 
had  been  a  gift  to  Columbus  from  King  Ferdinand  and 
Queen  Isabella,  was  taken  hither,  tradition  relates,  and  did 
service  until  an  earthquake  destroyed  the  edifice  in  the 
tower  of  which  it  hung.  Church  and  village  were  aban- 
doned, and  for  centuries  remained  neglected ;  but  some  thirty 
or  forty  years  ago  a  man  going  through  the  forest  in  which 
were  the  ruins  saw  a  strange  object  in  a  tree.  It  proved  to  be 
the  veritable  bell  from  Isabella,  which  had  been  caught  in 
the  embrace  of  a  parasitic  "fig"  or  wild  rubber  tree  and  lifted 


SANTO  DOMINGO  245 

from  the  crumbling  tower.  It  was  recovered  and  taken  to 
Santo  Domingo  City,  where  the  writer  secured  it  as  an 
exhibit  for  the  Columbian  Exposition  of  1893.  It  remained 
that  summer  in  the  Rabida  Convent,  at  Chicago,  and  was 
returned  to  Santo  Domingo  after  the  Exposition  was  over. 
The  authenticity  of  this  relic  is  hardly  to  be  doubted,  and  it 
is  to  be  hoped  that  it  may  once  more  return  to  the  United 
States,  as  a  precious  acquisition  for  some  one  of  our 
museums. 
Santiago  de  los  Caballeros.  Twenty  miles  northeast 
from  Concepcion  de  la  Vega  is  another  and  more  flourishing 
settlement,  that  of  Santiago  de  los  Caballeros.  It  was 
founded  in  1504  by  thirty  caballeros,  or  gentlemen,  of  noble 
ancestry,  who  obtained  from  the  King  of  Spain  permission 
to  add  the  distinguishing  appellation  to  that  of  Santiago, 
or  Saint  James.  It  is  the  capital  of  the  province,  and  ranks 
next  to  the  Capital  in  population,  containing,  it  is  said,  about 
45.000  people  in  the  city,  environs,  and  commune.  They  are 
not  all  at  present  connected  with  distinguished  ancestry  in 
Spain,  for  most  of  them  are  very  much  "mixed"  as  to  racial 
characteristics ;  but  there  still  exist  here  some  families 
who  can  quite  legitimately  make  that  boast.  Some  of 
them  still  cherish  ancient  swords  and  bits  of  armour, 
which  have  been  passed  down  from  the  time  of  the  con- 
quistadorcs,  and  there  are  ancient  buildings  here  also 
which  carry  us  back  to  that  period  early  in  America's  history. 
Santiago  has  suffered  from  the  buccaneers,  has  been  almost 
destroyed  by  "revolutionists."  both  from  Haiti  and  other 
sections  of  its  own  island,  and  yet  we  find  it  to-day  quite 
bright  and  flourishing.  This  is  owing  to  the  energy  and  enter- 
prise of  its  leading  citizens,  who  have  constructed  a  well- 
planned  plaza  in  the  centre  of  the  city,  with  a  music-stand, 
trees,  flowers,  and  shrubbery,  and  carried  out  many  other 
works  of  improvement,  which  greatly  redound  to  their  credit. 
The  city  is  commandingly  situated  on  a  high  bluff  of  the 
Yaqui  River,  which  drains  an  immense  and  fertile  region 
abounding  in  varied  resources.  The  climate  here  is  superb, 
especially  in  winter,  and,  being  in  the  highlands,  Santiago 
rarely  suffers  from  febrile  epidemics.  It  has  three  churches, 
the  fine  plaza  mentioned,  an  institute,  a  governor's  and  a 


246  A  GUIDE  TO   THE  WEST   INDIES 

municipal  palace,  a  grandly-planned  cathedral,  in  which  rest 
the  remains  of  the  late  President  Heureaux,  a  fortalcza,  or 
fortified  tower,  dominating  city  and  country,  and  many 
solidly-constructed  houses.  It  is  connected  with  the  coast 
at  Puerto  Plata  by  a  railway;  but  it  was  the  writer's  mis- 
fortune to  first  approach  Santiago  over  the  so-called  "high- 
way" between  it  and  La  Vega,  and  the  exploiting  of  its 
20  miles  of  mud-holes  will  linger  long  in  his  memory  as  an 
experience  he  would  not  care  to  repeat.  Between  these  two 
towns  there  is  hardly  a  house  worth  half  a  hundred  dollars, 
yet  many  of  the  paisanos,  or  countrymen,  are  very  wealthy 
and  also   refined. 

'  Its  market  is  large  and  well  attended.  The  visitor  should 
make  it  a  call  v^hen  crowded  with  country  people  from  the 
surrounding  districts,  for  these  natives  are  very  interesting 
in  their  habits,  costumes,  and  the  character  of  their  products. 
They  make  a  rude  pottery,  they  weave  hammocks  and 
baskets,  and  they  sometimes  bring  in  nuggets  of  gold  from 
the  mountain  streams.  Santiago  is  the  centre  to  which  they 
flock,  and  its  agricultural  productions,  especially  tobacco  and 
maize,  are  enormous  in  bulk  and  of  excellent  quality.  The 
city  is  distant  from  the  Capital  about  190  kilometers,  but 
rarely  is  the  direct  journey  attempted  overland  of  late,  owing 
to  the  fatigues  and  lack  of  accommodations  en  route.  It  is 
only  68  kilometers  to  Puerto  Plata,  where  steamer  may  be 
taken  around  the  northeast  coast — as  will  be  explained  in  the 
paragraph   on   the    Central    Dominican    Railway. 

Hotels:  Garibaldi  (Italian),  $2.50  per  day;  Cafe  Gd.  Col- 
mado  (Porto  Rican  restaurant)  ;  Cafe  de  W.  Guerrero  (Do- 
minican). 

San  Jose  de  las  Matas.  The  environs  of  Santiago  are 
extremely  interesting  to  the  student  of  history,  for  there  he 
may  find  the  ruins  of  several  early  settlements,  as,  for  ex- 
ample, Jacagua,  a  league  or  so  distant  from  the  city,  and 
which  was  founded  in  advance  of  the  latter  place.  Below 
the  city  runs  the  swift  and  turbulent  Yaqui,  or  River  of 
Reeds,  which  is  crossed  by  a  ferry.  Santiago  overlooks  the 
river  and  adjacent  country,  and  its  citadel  towers  above  all 
surrounding  objects,  presenting  a  magnificent  view  of  plain, 
forest,  and  distant  mountains.     In  these  mountains   several 


SANTO  DOMINGO  247 

settlements  may  be  found,  if  the  traveller  cares  to  take  the 
trip  on  horseback,  animals  and  guides  for  which  can  be 
procured  in  the  city.  San  Jose  de  las  Matas,  40  kilometers 
from  Santiago,  is  one  of  these,  situated  in  the  healthful 
pine-forest  region,  where  altitude  and  atmosphere  combine 
to  make  it  renowned  for  salubrity.  The  unfortunate  thing 
is,  that  no  hotel  or  place  of  entertainment  can  be  found  here, 
and  the  visitor  is  thrown  upon  the  hospitality  of  the  people, 
which  is  proverbial,  but  inadequate  for  providing  one  with 
more  than  mere  sustenance  and  shelter.  The  priest  of  the 
commune  is  generally  the  host  of  chance  travellers  in  this  re- 
gion, and  rarely  fails  in  meeting  their  requirements.  San 
Jose  has  a  quaint  church  400  years  old,  and  a  primitive  popu- 
lation engaged  chiefly  in  weaving  panniers  or  hampers  for  the 
transportation  of  tobacco.  Many  of  the  men  and  women  ob- 
tain a  scant  living  by  washing  gold  from  the  streams,  as  this 
is  a  locality  in  which  it  has  been  known  to  exist  ever  since 
the  first  settlement. 

Janico  and  Santo  Tomas.  The  mountain  hamlet  of 
Santo  Tomas,  on  the  river  Janico,  is  near  the  first  fort 
erected  by  Columbus  after  he  had  settled  at  Isabella,  about 
1494  or  1495.  It  was  built  here  in  order  to  protect  the 
Spaniards  in  search  of  gold,  with  which  the  streams  of  this 
region  abound.  Here  occurred  the  adventures  of  Alonzo  de 
Ojeda  and  Cacique  Caonabo,  as  narrated  in  Irving's  Life 
of  Columhiis.  A  full  account  of  the  transactions  here  and  a 
description  of  the  locality  is  given  in  the  writer's  book, 
III  the  Wake  of  Columbus;  and  it  will  suffice  to  say  here 
that  no  more  fascinating  locality  presents  itself  for  explora- 
tion, even  after  the  lapse  of  time  since  the  old  fort  w^as 
built,  than  in  the  mountains  of  the  Cihao,  as  this  region 
was  called. 

Janico  is  about  40  kilometers  southwest  of  Santiago,  in 
the  region  of  pines,  where  the  air  is  delicious  and  pure ;  but 
there  are  no  accommodations  for  the  stranger,  unless  he 
trespasses  upon  the  hospitality  of  the  priest.  In  the  winter 
time,  however,  when  the  air  is  dry  (as  it  is  always  sweet 
and  pure),  there  should  be  no  objection  to  "camping  out," 
and  a  party  equipped  for  this  purpose  would  find  it  very 
enjoyable.     The  remains  of  the  fort  erected  here  by  orders 


248  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST   INDIES 

of  Columbus  are  scarcely  discernible,  but  may  be  found  by 
close  search  in  a  bend  of  the  Janico,  which  here  ripples  over 
a  bed  of  pebbles  said  to  be  veined  with  gold. 

Valverde,  a  settlement  about  52  kilometers  from  Santi- 
ago, has  rich  resources  in  its  pineries,  and  also  in  deposits 
of  gold.  Scattered  throughout  the  commune  is  a  population 
of  perhaps  4.000  people,  all  of  them  subsisting  from  the  soil 
and   very   poor. 

From  Santiago  to  Monte  Cristi.  on  the  northwest  coast,  a 
road,  well  constructed  for  Santo  Domingo,  follows  the  right 
bank  of  the  Yaqui.  Small  settlements  exist  at  intervals  a 
few  leagues  apart,  but  in  the  entire  distance  there  is  no 
hostelry  of  any  sort.  It  is  a  popular  tradition  that  carriages 
may  be  driven  over  this  highway,  but  the  usual  mode  of 
travel  is  on  horseback. 

Espera7ica,  20  kilometers  from  Santiago,  is  the  chief  town 
encountered  on  this  route,  and  contains  some  2,000  in- 
habitants. 

Settlements  on  the  North  Coast.  Puerto  Plata,  or  Sail 
Felipe  de  Puerto  Plata,  as  it  is  locally  called,  has  the  repu- 
tation of  being  the  brightest,  prettiest,  most  progressive  of 
Dominican  cities.  It  is  beautifully  situated  on  a  picturesque 
peninsula  jutting  out  from  the  north  coast  at  the  foot  of  a 
mountain  more  than  2,000  feet  in  height.  This  mountain, 
Isabel  de  Torres,  is  covered  vv-ith  thick  forest,  and  its  summit 
usually  wreathed  in  clouds  resembling  a  white  turban,  from 
which  fact  the  port  at  its  feet  derived  its  name.  La  Plata, 
the  Port  of  the  Silver  ^Mountain.  Other  traditions  are  to 
the  effect  that  its  name  was  bestowed  on  account  of  the 
vast  amount  of  silver  brought  here  by  wreckers  of  Spanish 
galleons,  notably  by  Sir  William  Phipps,  in  the  latter  part  of 
the  seventeenth  century,  who  obtained  many  tons  of  ingots 
from  a  treasure-ship  lying  off  the  Silver  Shoals,  north  of 
Puerto  Plata. 

Whatever  may  have  been  the  origin  of  the  name,  it  is 
well  applied,  for  the  town,  or  city,  is  as  bright  and  shining 
as  a  silver  dollar.  It  occupies  the  neck  of  a  peninsula, 
one  side  of  which  is  washed  by  waves  of  the  Atlantic  and 
the  other  curves  around  a  placid  bay.  within  which  vessels 
of  all   kinds  may  find   secure  though   restricted   anchorage. 


u 


SANTO  DOMINGO  249 

An  old  fort  crowns  the  seaward  bluff  of  the  peninsula,  more 
than  100  feet  high,  and  here  is  perched  a  faro,  or  light- 
house, from  which  the  view  is  magnificent.  The  city  is 
notable  not  only  for  its  commercial  importance  (being  the 
shipping  port  for  the  vast  resources  of  the  Cibao,  or  the 
north-central  region,  especially  of  its  tobacco),  but  for  its 
beauty  of  situation  and  its  healthfulness.  It  has  paved  and 
macadamised  streets,  well  kept  and  well  lighted  at  night,  a 
small  but  attractive  plaza  and  park,  excellent  public  edifices, 
a  "Commercial  Club,"  at  which  strangers  with  good  refer- 
ences are  always  welcome,  a  good  carriage  service,  aqueduct, 
and  an  extensive  mole,  which  projects  into  the  bay. 

The  water  of  the  harbour  shallows  so  rapidly  that  ox-carts 
are  driven  out  to  meet  the  boats  as  they  land  wath  luggage, 
and  passengers  must  be  careful  to  contract  with  boatmen  in 
advance  for  both  services.  The  ox-carts  should  deliver 
luggage  directly  from  boat  to  house  or  hotel,  and  vice  versa, 
at  one  charge  for  the  same,  boatmen's  fees  extra. 

Puerto  Plata  was  discovered  as  a  port  by  Christopher 
Columbus  in  1493,  and  founded  as  a  city  by  orders  of  Ovando 
in  1502.  By  a  barbarous  edict  of  King  Philip  III.,  in  1606, 
its  inhabitants  were  driven  inland  to  Monte  Plata,  on  account 
of  their  smuggling  tendencies,  but  in  1750  the  place  was 
rehabilitated.  At  the  time  the  patriots  were  fighting  the 
Spaniards,  in  1863,  the  town  was  burned  to  the  ground,  but 
rebuilt  in  1865,  since  which  time  it  has  come  to  be,  as  the 
native  narrator  describes  it,  "the  most  beautiful  city  ever 
kissed  by  the  waves  of  old  ocean." 

The  Central  Dominican  Railroad.  Although  there  are 
no  good  hotels  in  Puerto  Plata,  we  find  here  a  very  intelli- 
gent population,  containing  a  larger  proportion  of  white 
people  than  any  other  place  of  its  size  in  the  Republic.  Its 
business  enterprise  is  mainly  owing  to  Americans  and  Ger- 
mans, who  carry  on  large  transactions,  especially  in  tobacco. 
The  enterprise  that  has  been  largely  instrumental  of  late  in 
building  up  Puerto  Plata  is  that  known  as  the  Central 
Doiiiiiiicaii  Raiki'ay,  the  rails  of  which  connect  this  port 
with  the  large  interior  city  of  Santiago.  This  road  is  a 
single  track,  30-inch  gauge.  42  miles  in  length.  It  was 
commenced    in    1893    by   Westerndorp   &    Co.,    bankers,    of 


250  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST   INDIES 

Amsterdam,  who  employed  Belgian  engineers  to  construct 
the  road,  for  which  special  bonds  were  issued  by  the  Do- 
minican Government.  The  Belgians  constructed  14  miles 
of  the  road,  from  Puerto  Plata  over  the  mountains,  em- 
ploying the  rack-and-cog  system  {cremaillere)  on  the  heavy 
grades,  which  vary  from  6  to  10  per  cent.  The  rights  and 
franchises  were  then  transferred  to  the  so-called  "San  Do- 
miingo  Improvement  Company,"  of  New  York,  which  com- 
pleted the  remaining  two-thirds  of  the  road  to  Santiago. 

The  scenery  along  the  line  is  extremely  fine,  reaching  its 
culmination  at  AUamira,  the  crest  of  the  mountain  range, 
30  kilometers  from  Puerto  Plata.  At  this  point,  just  before 
the  tunnel  through  the  Ciimbre,  or  Crest,  is  reached,  which 
is  960  feet  in  length,  a  stop  of  twenty  minutes  is  made  for 
breakfast  at  the  fonda,  or  wayside  restaurant.  This  is  the 
highest  point  on  the  line,  more  than  2.000  feet,  and  the  view 
is  not  unlike  that  from  the  railway  between  La  Guayra  and 
Caracas,  coast  of  Venezuela,  climbing  as  this  road  does 
from  the  tropical  shores  to  the  cool  altitudes  of  the  inland 
mountains. 

The  stations  along  the  line  are  unimportant,  one  of  the 
most  recent  being  Bajobonico,  which  became  a  nucleus  of 
settlement  while  the  road  was  in  process  of  construction,  aqd 
now  contains  perhaps  1,000  inhabitants.  At  Altamira, 
on  the  Ciimhre,  the  climate  is  favourable  to  the  cultivation  of 
wheat  and  other  grains  of  the  temperate  zone.  Deposits  of 
coal,  lignite  and  anthracite  have  been  found  in  the  commune 
and  are  being  worked.  There  is  a  population,  scattered,  of 
about   4,000. 

The  chief  place  on  this  road  is  the  city  at  the  end  of  it. 
Santiago,  which  has  been  described  already  on  page  245. 
There  has  been  no  special  development  along  the  route  since 
it  was  opened,  but  business   is   increasing  constantly. 

Fares:  Puerto  Plata-Santiago,  first  class,  $3.85;  second 
class,  $2.55,  with  a  local  general  rate  of  about  10  cents  a 
mile. 

The  road,  which  was  inaugurated  and  placed  in  full  opera- 
tion on  August  16,  1897.  is  actually  the  property  of  the 
Dominican  Government,  and  is  leased  to  the  "Improvement 
Company"  for  a  term  of  years,  under  an  operating  contract. 


SANTO  DOMINGO 


251 


Its  capacity  is  estimated  at  20,000  tons  per  annum,  at  $10 
per  ton.  The  rolling  stock  in  use  is  American,  the  buildings 
along  the  line  chiefly  Belgian,  and  the  bridges  are  of  British 
construction.  The  cost  of  construction  was  much  greater 
than  it  should  have  been,  owing  to  the  unnecessary  rack-line 
between  the  coast  and  the  mountains,  the  upkeep  of  that 
portion  costing  more  than  twice  as  much  as  the  remaining 
two-thirds.  Much  of  the  material  for  construction  was  ob- 
tained in  the  island,  the  roadbed  being  laid  with  hardwood 
ties  taken  from  the  forests  along  the  line. 
Itinerary,  Puerto  Plata  and  Santiago. 


Train  No.i 
Leave  for 
Santiago 

Read  down. 

6.00  A.  M 

6.12.  .. 

7.00.  . . 

7.10.  . . 

7.25.  .. 

7-30... 

7-45--- 

7-55  •  •  • 

8.00... 

8.10.  .., 

8.15... 

8.30... 

8.40.  .. 

9.00.  . . 

9.10. . . 

9.30... 

9.40... 
10.10. . . 
10.30.  .. 
10.40. . . 
10.50.  .. 
11.00. . . 
II. 15.  .. 
11.30.  .. 
11.40.  . . 


Kilo- 
meters 


O 

4 

8 
II 
13 
14 
18 
20 
22 

24 
26 
27 
30 
34 
36 
41 
43 
47 
51 
53 
55 
58 
62 
66 
68 


Stations 


Train  No.  2 
Kilo-   Leave  for 
meters      Puerto 
Plata 

Read  up. 

.PUERTO   PLATA 0  p.m. 540 

.  San  Marcos 4  ...  5.20 

.La    Sabana 3  ...  5.05 

.  La   Agiiita 2  ...  4.55 

.  Barrabas    i  ...  4.40 

.Corozal    4  ...  4.35 

.BAJOBONICO   2  ...  4-20 

.Perez   2  ...  4.15 

.Llanos  de  Perez 2  ...  4.10 

.Quebrada    Honda 2  ...  4.05 

•  Lajas I  ...  3-50 

.Higiiero    3  ...  3.47 

.ALTAMIRA(LosArroyos)  4  .  . .  340 

.  EI    Cupey    2  ...  3.20 

.La  Cumbre   (Tunnel) 5  ...  3.10 

.Canada    Bonita 2  ...  2.50 

.  Guanabano    4  ...  2.40 

.  NAVARRETE    4  ...  2.10 

.Las   Lavas 2  ...  1.50 

.PALMAREJO  2  ...  1.40 

.  Las    Lagunas 3  ...  i  .30 

.  Quinigua  4  ...  1.20 

.Jacagua   4  ...  1.05 

.Gurabito    3  ...12.50 

.SANTIAGO   2  ...12.40 


Waterfalls.  In  the  district  of  Puerto  Plata  are  two  fine 
cascades,  the  Cascoda  de  los  Mameyes,  in  the  river  of  that 
name,  and  del  Violon,  in  the  same  stream.  Both  are  beauti- 
ful, being  set  in  the  most  attractive  tropical  scenery.     Other 


252  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST   INDIES 

attractions  near:  Caves  of  Copey;  Isabel  del  Torre  !Moun- 
tain;  United  Fruit  Company's  banana  estate  at  Losua;  San 
Marcos  sugar  estate:  Labana  Hill  (first  cog  ascent  by  rail). 

Hotels  in  Puerto  Plata:  Europa  (Italian),  $2.50  per  day; 
Tres  Antillas  (Porto  Rican),  $1.50;  Fonda  Espanola  (Span- 
ish), no  fixed  charge,  with  good  table  and  wines.  Boarding- 
house  by  Sra.  Leiiora  Benedicto.  $2  (Dominican). 

Isabella,  founded  1493.  The  first  Spanish  city  in  Amer- 
ica, and  hence  the  first  that  owes  its  origin  to  white  men, 
was  that  of  Isabella,  founded  by  Christopher  Columbus  in 
1493,  on  the  north  coast  of  Santo  Domingo,  It  is  hardly 
accessible  to  the  ordinary  traveller,  but  if  one  is  willing  to 
"rough  it"  for  a  while  he  may  reach  it  from  Puerto 
Plata  by  chartering  a  small  vessel  and  sailing  some 
50  or  60  miles  westerly  until  off  the  mouth  of  the  Bajo- 
bonico  River.  If  the  golcta,  or  native  schooner,  does  not 
draw  too  much  vrater,  landing  may  be  made  inside  the  reefs 
that  protect  the  harbour,  and  if  any  one  is  still  living  at  the 
Casa  Passalaigue,  on  the  bank  of  the  Bajobonico,  shelter 
for  a  time  may  be  obtained  there.  But  it  is  a  doubtful 
experiment,  and  one  making  it  must  be  prepared  for  poor 
shelter  and  hard  luck. 

Isabella,  as  all  intelligent  Americans  ought  to  know,  was 
founded  by  Columbus  after  his  return  to  Santo  Domingo  on 
his  second  voyage,  December,  1493.  He  erected  here  several 
stone  structures,  including  a  small  church,  or  chapel,  and 
began  a  settlement.  It  has  never  been  explained  why  he 
landed  here,  at  a  place  where  no  good  harbour  ever  existed ; 
but  it  was  probably  because  the  little  port  is  the  nearest  to 
the  Cibao,  or  Gold  Region,  from  wdiich  the  natives  of  Haiti 
had  obtained  (they  told  him)  the  precious  metal  they  pos- 
sessed. He  had  obtained  from  them  such  big  nuggets,  and 
they  seemed  so  plentiful,  that  he  was  anxious  to  explore  the 
golden  region.  The  first  thing  he  did,  therefore,  after  pro- 
viding for  the  safety  of  his  people,  was  to  organise  an  ex- 
pedition to  the  mountains,  which  could  be  seen,  dim  in  the 
distance,  many  leagues  away.  This  was  early  in  1494,  when 
he  founded  the  fort  of  Santo  Tomas,  in  the  Cibao.  He 
found  such  rich  promise  of  gold  in  the  country  that  he  made 
another  expedition  the  next  year,   during  which  he  fought 


SANTO  DOMINGO  253 

the  great  battle  of  La  Vega  and  accomplished  the  subjugation 
of  the  Indians. 

Isabella  did  not  last  long  as  a  settlement,  for  the  place 
was  unhealthful,  there  were  no  means  of.  subsistence,  and 
by  the  end  of  the  century  it  was  abandoned,  the  remnants 
of  the  settlers  going  to  Santo  Domingo  City,  on  the  south 
coast.  Very  little  remains  of  it  in  situ,  since  its  ruins  have 
mostly  crumbled,  and  the  last  of  the  rocks  composing  the 
walls  were  sent  to  the  Columbian  Exposition  of  1893.  A 
monument  has  been  erected  there,  through  the  efforts  of 
the  late  Nathan  Appleton  and  other  Americans,  so  the 
site  has  .been  re-located  and  snatched  from  oblivion. 

Near  Isabella  is  a  cavern,  called  la  ciicva  dc  los  frailcs,  in 
which  was  discovered  an  ancient  deity  of  the  aborigines 
carved  from  wood,  which  is  now  in  the  National  Museum  at 
Washington,  United  States.  Alahogany  and  other  precious 
woods  are  found  in  this  district.  The  owner  of  Isabella, 
Mr.  Passalaigue,  who  generally  resides  there,  is  cultured  and 
hospitable. 

Monte  Cristi,  or  San  Fernando  de  Monte  Cristi,  is  the 
capital  of  a  district  of  the  same  name  in  the  extreme  north- 
west of  Santo  Domingo.  It  was  founded  in  1533,  but  the 
site  was  discovered  by  Columbus  in  1493.  In  January  of  that 
year,  after  the  loss  of  his  flagship  in  the  bay  of  Cape 
Haitien,  as  he  was  sailing  along  the  north  coast,  he  came 
in  sight  of  a  mountainous  peninsula  projecting  into  the 
sea.  He  gave  it  the  name  it  bears  to-day,  and  as  he  had 
found  grains  of  gold  in  the  sands  of  the  river  which  flows 
near,  he  called  that  the  Rio  del  Oro,  or  River  of  Gold — now 
known  as  the  Yaqui.  The  town  lies  about  a  mile  from  the 
port,  with  which  it  is  connected  by  a  tramway.  There  is 
little  vegetation  here,  owing  to  the  infrequency  of  rains,  but 
large  crops  can  be  raised  by  irrigation.  The  principal  pro- 
ductions and  exports  are  dye  woods,  dividivi,  and  tobacco. 
About  10.000  inhabitants  exist  in  the  district,  whose  chief 
diversion  seems  to  be  playing  at  "revolution."  Nearly  all 
the  banished  officials  who  desire  to  "revolute"  come  to  Monte 
Cristi  as  a  starting-point,  owing  to  its  distance  from  the 
seat  of  government,  more  than  300  kilometers.  It  is  the 
outlet  of  the  highway   from  La  Vega  and   Santiago  down 


254  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST  INDIES 

the  right  bank  of  the  Yaqui,  and  the  nearest  settlement  to 
the  Haitian  frontier  on  the  north  coast.  No  good  hotel  here, 
but  several  boarding-houses. 

Means  of  Communication.  Nczv  York  and  Santo  Do- 
mingo: The  only  line  connecting  the  Dominican  portion  of 
Santo  Domingo  with  New  York,  direct,  is  the  long-estab- 
lished Clyde  Line,  with  sailings  fortnightly,  touching  at 
Turk's  Island,  Bahamas,  out  and  return.  The  steamers  of 
this  line  are  first-class  in  every  respect,  and  as  they  call  at 
all  the  principal  ports  of  the  Dominican  Republic,  north 
coast  and  south,  opportunities  are  afforded  for  a  compre- 
hensive acquaintance  with  an  island,  the  numerous  attrac- 
tions of  which  are  but  little  known  to  the  travelling  public. 

Rates:  To  and  from  Turk's  Island,  $40;  Monte  Cristi, 
Santo  Domingo,  $50;  Puerto  Plata,  $50;  Samana  (Santa 
Barbara),  $60;  Sanchez,  $65;  Macoris.  $70;  Santo  Domingo 
City,  $70;  Azua,  $75. 

Havana  and  Santo  Domingo:  Cuban  Company,  Sohrinos 
de  Herrera,  weekly,  from  and  for  Havana,  via  north  coast 
of  Cuba  and  Santiago  de  Cuba;  first-class  passage,  $50, 
American  gold. 

Havre,  France,  and  Santo  Domingo:  Compania  General 
Transatlantica,  monthly,  calling  en  route  at  St.  Thomas 
and  Porto  Rico,  arriving  at  Puerto  Plata  the  5th  of  each 
month. 

An  inter-insular  branch  of  the  same  line,  from  Fort  de 
France  (calling  at  Guadeloupe,  St.  Thomas  and  southern 
ports  of  Porto  Rico)  to  Santo  Domingo,  Jacmel,  and  Port 
au  Prince,  Haiti ;  returning  same  route,  monthly.  Monthly 
service,  connecting  with  the  transatlantic  steamers  for  and 
from  France. 

Hamburg-American  Line,  monthly,  touches  at  all  southern 
ports,  for  St.  Thomas,  Havre,  France ;  and  Hamburg,  Ger- 
many.    Also  an  Intercolonial  Line  from  and  to  St.  Thomas. 

Local  Coast  Line,  the  Compania  Anonima  de  Navegacion, 
leaves  port  of  Santo  Domingo  (city)  at  10  p.m.  Mondays 
for  San  Pedro  de  Macoris  and  La  Romana ;  returning 
Wednesdays,  and  sailing  Thursdays,  10  p.m.,  for  Azua  and 
Barahona,  returning  Saturdays. 


HAITI 

The  "Black  Republic."  Whoever  bestowed  upon  the 
Haitian  portion  (about  one-third)  of  this  beautiful  island 
the  appellation  by  which  it  is  best  known,  it  is  certainly 
a  propos.  This  fact  will  be  strongly  impressed  upon  the 
stranger  at  first  sight  of  any  of  its  ports,  with  their  wharves 
swarming  with  black  and  coloured  people.  But  as  they  came 
into  this  heritage  through  no  initiative  of  their  own.  and 
after  a  long  period  of  bloodshed  and  massacre :  and.  more- 
over, as  the  white  man  brought  their  ancestors  here  without 
previously  consulting  their  wishes,  they  should  not  be  held 
wholly  responsible  for  conditions  to-day.  They  are  gov- 
erning their  portion  of  the  island  according  to  the  light 
afforded  them,  through  instinct  and  example,  and  if  Haiti 
does  not  suit  the  stranger  (they  declare)  he  may  stay 
away  ! 

Area  and  Population.  Haiti  proper,  a  name  originally 
applied  to  the  entire  island  of  Haiti-Santo  Domingo,  now 
comprises  about  one-third  the  28.250  square  miles  within  its 
borders ;  but  its  population  is  more  than  double  that  of  the 
other  tw^o-thirds,  or  about  1,500.000.  As  more  than  90  per 
cent,  of  this  population  is  black,  and  most  of  the  remainder 
mulatto,  the  w^hite  race  is  scantily  represented.  The  for- 
eigner cannot  own  real  estate,  nor  can  he  transact  business 
unhampered  by  restrictions  which  are  sometimes  burden- 
some, hence  Haiti  is  not  his  chosen  place  of  abode,  and  the 
tourist  will  feel  exceedingly  lonesome  should  he  undertake 
an   exploration  of  the  interior  country. 

If  Haiti  were  less  beautiful,  and  if  its  history  had  been 
less  intimately  associated  with  the  earliest  periods  of  Ameri- 
can settlement  and  discovery,  scant  reason  would  exist  for 
making  mention  of  it  in  a  w^ork  of  this  kind.  For  unless 
one  be  a  lover  of  nature's  works,  as  here  displayed  in  their 
most  wondrous  forms,  and  a  student  of  history  and  mankind 
as  well,  he  might  lack  a  motive  for  a  visit  to  Haiti.  Let 
it  be  understood,  then,  that  he  does  it  solely  upon  his  own 


256  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST   INDIES 

responsibility,  and  not  through  any  representation  of  the 
writer,  who  may  be  led  by  its  great  natural  charms  to 
descant  unduly  upon  its  attractions.  These  are  many,  for, 
while  Santo  Domingo  possesses  the  highest  mountains  and 
the  greatest  area  of  cultivated  plains,  Haiti  has  the  most 
beautiful  scenery,  taken  all  in  all ;  though  little  of  it  can  be 
enjoyed  except  at  a  distance.     The  poet's   lines: 

"  'Tis  distance  lends  enchantment  to  the  view, 
And  robes  the  mountains  in  its  azure  hue," 

are  peculiarly  applicable  here. 

Cape  Haitien  in  the  North.  While  the  chief  commercial 
city  and  capital  is  to  be  found  at  Port  au  Prince,  on  the 
great  bay  of  that  name  in  the  south,  the  most  attractive 
settlement,  whether  historically  or  scenically  considered,  is 
that  of  Cape  Haitien,  or  the  "Cape,"  as  it  is  locally  called. 
The  beautiful  bay  on  which  it  is  built  was  discovered  by 
Christopher  Columbus  in  1492.  In  fact,  here  it  was  that  he 
met  with  the  first  disaster  of  that  first  voyage  to  America, 
for  his  flagship  was  wrecked  on  a  reef  at  the  entrance  of 
Guarico,  or  Cape  Haitien  Bay,  on  Christmas  Eve,  and  he 
sorrowfully  celebrated  his  first  American  Christmas  ashore 
as  the- guest  of  a  native  cacique.  The  place  where  he  was 
entertained  by  Cacique  Guacanagari.  the  hospitable  Indian 
chief,  is  now  known  as  Petit  Anse,  and  is  about  2  miles 
from  Cape  Haitien.  It  is  merely  a  settlement  of  fisher  folk, 
consisting  of  rude  huts ;  but  there  is  a  small  chapel  here 
which  contains  (or  at  one  time  contained)  a  black  Virgin, 
rudely  carved  from  wood,  and  a  quaint  image  of  Saint  John 
and  Agnus  Dei.  This  was  the  site  of  ancient  Guarico.  and 
may  be  reached  either  by  boat  or  road.  Here  was  collected 
the  wreckage  from  the  flagship  the  Santa  Maria,  and  near 
this  spot  was  erected  the  first  fort  of  European  origin  in  the 
West  Indies,  perhaps  the  first  in  America.  It  was  called 
La  Navidad,  or  the  Nativity,  by  Columbus,  in  honour  of  the 
day  in  which  he  came  ashore,  and  furnished  with  a  garrison 
of  forty  men. 

Departing  from  the  place  the  first  week  in  January,  1493, 
Columbus  coasted  the  north  shores  of  the  islands  as  far  as 
Samana,  then  sailed  for   Spain,   returning  the  next  year  to 


HAITI  257 

find  the  fort  burned  to  the  ground  and  the  garrison  mas- 
sacred. At  the  time  Columbus  landed  here  he  brought 
ashore,  among  the  other  wreckage  of  his  ship,  a  small  anchor, 
which  was  discovered  near  the  site  of  Guarico  in  the  last 
century  and  taken  to  the  Columbian  Exposition  at  Chicago 
as  a  relic  of  the  event.  As  the  fortress  was  of  wood,  and 
probably  entirely  destroyed  by  the  Indians,  no  remains  of  it 
have  been  discovered  :  but  it  is  thought  to  have  been  built 
on  the  hill  of  San  Michel,  an  isolated  elevation  about  2  miles 
from  Guarico,  or  Petit  Anse,  as  it  is  a  strategic  situation, 
commanding  the  beach  and  the  bay,  where  the  Indians  had 
their  settlement. 

A  City  of  Massacres.  In  course  of  time  a  settlement 
was  made  on  this  bay  of  Cape  Haitien,  which,  under  the 
French,  attained  to  such  elegance  and  prosperity  that  it  was 
called  the  "Little  Paris  of  America."  The  French  had 
acquired  title  to  this  portion  of  the  island  by  treaty.  1697, 
and,  as  planters,  imported  so  many  negro  slaves  that  by 
the  end  of  the  eighteenth  century  the  blacks  were  vastly  in 
the  majority.  So  cruel  were  the  planters  to  their  slaves, 
and  so  desperate  the  latter  became,  that  an  insurrection  broke 
out  in  1791,  which  was  the  beginning  of  the  end,  so  far  as 
European  control  in  Haiti  went.  The  insurgents  were  led 
by  the  subsequently  famous  Toussaint  I'Ouverture,  whose 
career  has  often  been  celebrated  in  song  and  in  story.  Under 
his  leadership  the  slaves  became  freemen,  and  finally,  by 
the  co-operation  of  other  native  negroes  and  brown  men  who 
had  forged  to  the  front,  the  French  were  driven  to  their  last 
stand  at  the  Cape.  The  planters  and  their  families  were 
massacred  with  every  species  of  atrocity;  white  infants  and 
small  children  were  impaled  and  borne  aloft  on  pikes  at  the 
heads  of  companies  of  shouting  black  demons. 

Toussaint  accomplished  the  expulsion  of  the  white  planters, 
as  there  were  then  more  than  half  a  million  blacks  in  the 
island  and  less  than  70,000  whites;  but  peace  was  not  long 
to  continue.  The  first  Napoleon  sent  hither  60,000  troops, 
in  a  fleet  of  the  line,  under  command  of  his  brother-in-law, 
Leclcrc.  The  natives  could  not  oppose  this  armed  force  of 
Napoleon's  veterans,  and  retired  to  the  mountains.  Toussaint 
was  captured  by  strategy  and  sent  to  France,  w'here  he  died 


258  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST   INDIES 

in  prison.  The  black  mountaineers  descended  to  the  coast 
and  committed  terrible  ravages,  being  assisted  by  yellow 
fever.  In  a  short  time  Leclerc  lost  thousands  of  his  soldiers, 
and  himself  fell  a  victim  to  the  plague.  His  wife,  Pauline, 
returned  to  France,  but  the  war  still  went  on,  the  French 
commanded  by  General  Rochambeau.  This  unworthy  son 
of  a  famous  sire  seemed  to  go  mad  with  lust  for  revenge, 
for  his  captives  were  drowned,  shot,  and  hung  by  hundreds. 
Dessalines  and  Christophe,  the  black  generals,  retaliated,  and 
the  fair  land  of  Haiti  was  drenched  with  blood,  especially 
around  Cape  Haitien,  which  was  the  centre  of  operations. 
Finally  Napoleon  could  no  longer  aid  his  veterans  in  Haiti, 
who  were  reduced  to  the  verge  of  starvation  when  they 
surrendered  to  a  British  force,  which  providentially  arrived 
in  time  to  save  them  from  the  enraged  blacks,  who  would 
have  massacred  every  man. 

Thus,  after  years  of  occupation,  the  French  lost  control 
of  Haiti,  and  it  reverted  to  the  descendants  of  the  slaves 
their  predecessors  had  imported  from  Africa.  In  the  last 
two  years  of  their  occupation  they  had  lost,  by  war  and 
disease,  more  than  60,000  citizens  and  soldiers.  The  native 
blacks  had  also  lost  heavily,  but  they  still  swarmed  in  the 
mountains  and  on  the  plains.  After  the  French  evacuation, 
on  January  i,  1804,  the  blacks  and  men  of  colour  took  a 
solemn  oath  to  renounce  France '  forever.  General  Jean 
Jacques  Dessalines  was  named  general-in-chief,  and  he  then 
proceeded  to  massacre  the  few  French  remaining  in  Cape 
Haitien.  Then  ensued  a  scene  of  horror  that  was  a  fitting 
consummation  to  the  horrors  that  had  preceded.  The 
monster  Dessalines  led  his  military  from  house  to  house, 
murdering  every  white  occupant  found  therein.  The  cap- 
tured whites,  men,  women,  and  children,  were  taken  to  the 
parade  ground  and  executed  with  every  barbarous  accom- 
paniment that  African  savagery  could  suggest.  The 
slaughter  was  awful,  and  the  rivulet  which  passes  through 
the  town  was  red  with  blood. 

In  the  time  of  French  dominance  the  Cape  was  a  centre 
of  wealth  and  luxury,  its  dwellings  were  spacious,  its 
cathedral  imposing,  its  squares  and  plazas  adorned  with 
flowers  and  with  fountains  fed  by  cool  water  conducted  in 


HAITI  259 

artificial  channels  from  the  hills.  But  with  the  negro  occu- 
pation all  was  changed.  Even  what  the  savage  blacks  spared 
of  a  civilisation  they  could  not  appreciate  was  soon  reduced 
to  nothingness,  for  earthquakes  and  fires  combined  to  destroy 
the  city,  and  they  have  never  since  rebuilt  it.  To-day  we 
find  the  Cape  a  settlement  in  the  midst  of  ruined  structures. 
its  fountains  choked  with  rubbish,  its  parks  overgrown  with 
worthless   trees   and    shrubs. 

There  is  no  hotel  or  place  of  entertainment  within  its  con- 
fines worthy  the  name,  but  there  is  a  Commercial  Club,  where 
drinks  and  meals  are  furnished  to  members.  The  roads 
leading  into  the  hills  and  mountains  are  so  poor  that  ex- 
cursions thither  (though  rewarding  in  the  beauty  of  scenery, 
abundance  of  fruits  and  flowers  by  the  way  and  the  de- 
liciousness  of  the  air)  are  rarely  undertaken. 

The  Black  King's  Castle.  When  General  Leclerc,  in 
command  of  the  French,  tried  to  surprise  the  Cape,  the  negro 
commander  of  the  native  force  then  in  occupation  set  it  on 
fire  and  retreated  to  the  hills.  This  black  general  was 
Christophe.  who  became  the  second  ruler  over  Haiti  after 
the  expulsion  of  the  French.  He  proclaimed  himself  king  in 
181 1,  and  his  black  consort  a  queen,  also  creating  a  Haitian 
"nobility,"  consisting  of  his  own  children  as  "princes  of  the 
blood,"  3  "princes  of  the  kingdom,"  8  "dukes."  20  "counts," 
Zy  "barons,"  and  11  '"chevaliers" — all  black,  and  all  descend- 
ants of  negro  slaves.  Some  descendants  of  this  defunct 
"nobility"   still  exist  in   Haiti. 

"King  Henry,"  as  the  black  sovereign  styled  himself,  pos- 
sessed nine  royal  palaces  and  eight  royal  chateaux,  but  the 
most  beautiful  of  all  was  that  of  Sans  Souci,  which  is  at  the 
base  of  high  hills  about  two  hours'  ride  from  the  Cape. 
Together  with  the  fort  and  castle  which  Christophe  caused 
to  be  built  on  the  summits  of  those  hills,  two  hours  distant 
from  the  palace.  Sans  Souci  constitutes  the  most  wonderful 
architectural  creation  to  be  found  in  any  of  the  West  Indies 
south  of  Cuba.  No  one  who  ever  finds  himself  in  the  island, 
especially  if  at  Cape  Haitien,  should  fail  to  pay  a  visit  to 
Sans  Souci  and  the  far-famed  Fcrriere,  which  is  crowned  by 
a  fortress — actually  the  most  wonderful  structure,  when  its 
site  and  size  are  considered,   in  the  West  Indies.     As  vou 


26o  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST  INDIES 

approach  the  Cape  from  the  sea  you  may  see,  at  a  distance 
of  about  20  miles  inland,  a  lofty,  pyramidal  mountain,  its 
summit  level  and  its  sides  slanting  into  the  forest,  \Yhich 
surrounds  it  on  every  side.  This  is  La  Fcrricrc,  mountain 
and  fortress,  the  latter  built  by  King  Henry,  or  Christophe, 
the  black  King  of  Haiti,  as  a  last  retreat  in  case  the  French 
should  return. 

Palace  of  Sans  Souci.  The  favourite  palace  of  King 
Henry.  Sans  Souci,  lies  at  the  head  of  a  lovely  valley,  Millot, 
and  to  reach  it  one  must  obtain  a  horse  or  horses  at  the 
Cape,  together  with  a  guide :  though  the  road  is  open  and 
fairly  good.  Letters  from  the  military  governor  or  com- 
mandante  also  must  be  taken,  in  order  to  gain  entrance  to 
palace  and  castle,  though  the  former .  is  in  ruins  and  the 
latter  abandoned.  Even  in  its  ruins — and  it.  is  now  nothing 
more  than  the  skeleton  of  its  former  self — Sans  Souci  is 
grand  and  impressive.  As  to  its  situation :  no  lovelier  could 
have  been  chosen,  no  more  beautiful  could  have  been  found 
elsewhere  on  earth.  It  stands  at  the  base  of  very  high  hills 
covered  with  tropical  trees,  among  which  run  sparkling 
streams  of  purest  water.  These  irrigate  numerous  gardens 
planted  with  coffee  trees  and  cocoa-palms,  where,  hidden  in 
abundant  foliage,  are  the  huts  of  the  country  folk,  who  lead 
a  life  of  aboriginal  independence. 

The  climate  is  perfect,  the  productions  of  the  region  in- 
clude everything  that  can  be  grown  in  the  habitable  zones. 
Earthquakes  have  completed  the  destruction  caused  by  con- 
tending blacks  over  the  possession  of  the  palace,  and  the 
ruins  are  roofless  but  massive,  still  showing  what  must  have 
been  the  luxury  that  King  Henry  lived  in  when  at  the  height 
of  his  prosperity.  The  remains  of  terraced  gardens  are 
shown  yet,  and  in  an  open  court  before  the  palace  stands 
the  great  star-apple  tree  beneath  which  the  king  held  court 
and  audience  with  his  officers.  The  room  is  shown  (one 
of  numerous  roofless  apartments  in  the  palace)  where  King 
Henry  committed  suicide  by  shooting  himself  in  the  head 
with  a  silver  bullet.  His  remains  were  taken  for  sepulture 
to  the  castle  he  had  erected  on  the  summit  of  La  Ferriere, 
to  reach  which  you  must  climb  for  yet  two  hours  through 
a  forest  that  covers  the  hills.     The  trail  is  rough,  frequently 


HAITI  261 

leading  aloiig  the  brinks  of  precipices,  but  often  through 
wild  coffee  groves  and  banana  gardens,  with  most  glori- 
ous views  of  land  and  sea  glimpsing  at  intervals  all  the 
way.         • 

The  fortress  confronts  one  like  a  gigantic  rock  set  upon  a 
mountain  top  in  the  bosom  of  the  wilderness.  It  is  awfully 
grand,  it  is  terribly  solitary,  presenting  as  it  does  evidence 
of  vast  labour  by  human  hands,  directed  by  human  intelli- 
gence ;  yet  so  lonely  now  that  no  other  structure  rises  nearer 
than  the  palace,  miles  away.  This  great  work  would  have 
taxed  the  skill  and  resources  of  any  monarch,  even  with  the 
appliances  of  an  advanced  civilisation  at  command ;  yet  it 
was  carried  out  by  a  semi-savage  king  of  the  blacks.  All 
the  material  for  its  construction  was  drawn  from  the  forests 
around  it,  but  its  architect  and  master  builders  were  from 
abroad.  Crowning  the  levelled  summit  of  a  conical  hill, 
steep  and  hard  to  climb,  the  massive  walls  of  this  fortress 
tower  aloft  100  feet.  They  are  surrounded  by  a  deep  moat, 
which  is  spanned  by  a  single  log  as  a  drawbridge.  Inside 
are  great  galleries,  one  above  another,  where  are  still 
mounted  hundreds  of  cannon,  most  of  which  had  been"  taken 
from  the  French,  and  all  of  which  the  king  intended  to 
use  against  them  should  they  ever  return. 

This  was  to  be  his  last  refuge,  his  final  stand  against  the 
forces  which  he  would  not  be  able,  he  knew,  to  combat  at 
the  coast  if  they  should  return  in  strength.  Here  he  accumu- 
lated vast  stores  of  grain,  ammunition,  flints,  bullets,  gun- 
powder, and  (according  to  tradition)  treasure  to  the  amount 
of  more  than  $30,000,000.  The  tomb  of  the  king  is  shown 
in  the  centre  of  the  castle,  and  also  his  treasure  vault ;  but 
both  were  rifled  of  their  contents  long  ago.  There  are  said 
to  be  300  cannon  in  the  vast  galleries,  all  pointing  at  an 
imaginary  foe  that  never  came,  that  never  wall  come,  to 
invade  this  solitude.  Every  cannon  was  hauled  up  the 
mountains  by  gangs  of  men,  and  some  of  these  pieces  prob- 
ably weigh  four  or  five  tons  each.  So  many  of  the  labourers 
died  from  exhaustion  and  from  the  king's  cruelties  that  the 
walls  of  La  Ferriere  may  truly  be  said  to  be  built  upon  the 
bones  of  a  thousand  victims  and  cemented  w-ith  their 
blood. 


262  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST   INDIES 

There  is  no  public  house  at  Millot,  nor  is  it  probable  that 
any  white  people  can  be  living  there  at  present,  but  a  night's 
lodging  might  be  obtained  of  the  schoolmaster,  perhaps, 
or  of  some  local  official.  The  region  abounds  with  fruits 
and  tropical  vegetables,  yet  it  would  be  difficult  to  obtain 
a  meal  at  Millot,  and  all  provisions  should  be  taken  from 
the  Cape,  where,  though  hotels  are  non-existent,  stores  are 
numerous  and  well  stocked. 

For  instructions  as  to  where  to  go  and  how  to  proceed  one 
should  apply  to  his  consul,  the  governmental  representative; 
but  this  advice  is  not  given  with  a  guarantee  that  it  will  be 
courteously  rendered.  Rains,  earthquakes,  incendiary  fires, 
etc.,  may  at  any  time  work  changes  in  the  aspect  of  city  and 
country,  and  "revolutions"  may  change  the  body  politic  at 
one  fell  swoop,  so  it  is  difficult  to  advise  as  to  the  sights 
which  may  be  safely  sought.  Hence  the  advice  is  given : 
Seek  the  representative  of  your  home  government,  and  if 
he  be  all  that  his  position  demands  he  should  be — a  gentle- 
man, yet  a  servant  of  the  people  he  represents — you  cannot 
go  astray. 

The  interior  of  the  cathedral  at  the  Cape  is  interesting, 
provided  no  earthquake  or  revolutionary  uprising  has 
wrought  injury  to  the  structure.  An  old  French  fort  guards 
the  entrance  to  the  bay,  and  the  ruins  are  shown,  between 
the  city  and  Petit  Anse,  of  what  is  called  an  old  buccaneer 
stronghold.  City  and  bay  are  associated  with  memories  of 
Columbus,  with  the  first  fort  he  erected  on  American  soil ; 
with  the  rise  and  fall  of  Toussaint  I'Ouverture;  with  the 
invasion  of  Bonaparte's  soldiers  under  Leclerc,  and  with  the 
first  proclamation  of  liberty  to  Haiti.  But  the  fine  structures 
erected  by  the  French  in  the  eighteenth  century  are  now 
shapeless  heaps  of  brick  and  stone,  the  aqueducts  they  built 
are  unused,  the  gardens  they  laid  out  gone  to  decay.  There 
is,  as  already  said,  no  good  hotel  in  the  place:  not  a  public, 
hardly  a  private,  convenience  of  any  sanitary  sort  what- 
ever, while  the  gutters  reek  with  filth  and  the  air  is  tainted 
with  pestilential  emanations.* 

Ports  of  the  North  Coast.    As  in  the  Santo  Domingo,  or 

*Our  West  Indian  Neifi^-hbors^  which  see  for  extended  description  of 
Haiti  and  Santo  Domingo. 


u 


HAITI  263 

eastern  portion  of  the  island,  natural  harbours  abound, 
which  are  hardly  occupied,  whiclr,  if  they  belonged  to  a 
civilised  people,  would  teem  with  commerce  and  be  alive 
with  ships  and  sailors;  but  some  exist  to-day  almost  in  the 
solitude  in  which  they  were  discovered  by  Columbus.  They 
are  less  populous,  in  fact,  than  at  that  time,  if  we  may  be- 
lieve his  Journals,  for  the  north  coast  then  swarmed  with 
Indians,  who  tilled  the  soil  successfully,  and  who  had  what 
the  Haitians  of  to-day  do  not  possess,  or  seem  to  have  the 
ability  to  discover — nuggets  of  gold,  which  they  used  as 
ornaments. 

To  the  westward  of  the  Cape  lies  a  most  beautiful  harbour, 
so  attractive  from  its  location  and  so  abounding  in  tropical 
wonders  of  vegetation  that  Columbus  called  it  Val  de 
Paraiso,  or  the  Vale  of  Paradise.  It  is  now  known  as  Acul, 
and  being  exclusively  in  possession  of  the  blacks,  with  a 
sprinkling  of  coloured  people  only,  has  no  accommodations 
for  white  visitors  of  any  sort  whatever.  The  same  may  be 
said  of  Port  de  Paix,  which  is  the  outlet  of  a  large  and 
handsome  valley,  and  a  flourishing  place.  Behind  all  these 
ports,  in  fact,  and  notably  that  of  Cape  Haitien,  lie  great 
plains  or  valleys,  well  watered  and  productive,  which  only 
await  energy  and  capital  intelligently  applied  to  become 
the  earth's  favoured  garden-spots.  A  road  winds  around 
the  coast  and  another  crosses  the  peninsula  from  the  Cape 
to  Gonaives,  where  such  places  as  Plaisance  show  what 
the  island  is  capable  of  in  paradisiacal  scenery  and  cli- 
mate. 

The  Buccaneers'  Stronghold.  Opposite  Port  de  Paix, 
from  which  it  is  separated  only  by  a  narrow  channel,  with 
waters  generally  smooth,  lies  the  island  of  Tortuga,  famous 
as  the  erstwhile  rendezvous  of  buccaneers  and  pirates.  It  is 
about  20  miles  in  length  and  3  miles  in  average  width,  has  a 
fine  though  small  harbour  protected  from  the  open  sea,  and 
probably  contains  more  buried  treasure  than  any  other  spot 
in  the  West  Indies. 

Here  the  buccaneers  settled,  about  1630,  when  driven  from 
St.  Kitts  and  other  islands  to  the  south,  and  here  they 
established  a  stronghold  which  the  King  of  Spain,  with  all 
the  ships  and  men  at  his  command,  could  not  break  up  until 


264  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST   INDIES 

after  many  years  of  effort.  Here,  in  fact,  those  remarkable 
men,  the  "brethren  of  the  sea,"  called  also  buccaneers  and 
aiihiistcros,  established  themselves  for  thirty  years,  from  this 
island  making  forays  upon  all  commerce  that  was  carried 
on  in  ships  through  the  Windward  Channel,  and  also  from 
this  point  sending  out  expeditions  for  the  reduction  of  Span- 
ish cities  at  Darien,  Porto  Bello,  and  Panama.  After  the 
Spaniards,  they  were  the  original  settlers  of  Haiti,  for  when 
finally  dispersed  many  of  them  went  over  to  the  main  island, 
where  they  became  planters  and  cattle-raisers.  Few  strangers 
visit  Tortuga;  but  permission  having  been  obtained  at  Port 
de  Paix,  as  well  as  a  sailing  craft  well  manned,  the  trip 
can  be  easily  accomplished;  though  the  natives  would  view 
such  an  attempt  as  an  intrusion,  and  might  make  trouble  for 
the  invaders. 

Mole  San  Nicolas.  At  the  extreme  northwestern  tip 
of  the  Haitian  peninsula  a  port  is  found  which,  though  it 
was  discovered  by  Columbus  in  1492,  yet  exists  almost 
unused,  still  in  possession  of  people  who  are  unable  to 
utilise  its  wonderful  advantages.  This  is  IMole  San  Nicolas, 
a  natural  port  with  deep  water,  and  so  situated  as  to  com- 
mand all  the  channels  to  the  westward,  as  well  as  the  sea 
approaches  to  Panama  and  the  shipping  passing  northward 
from  Jamaica,  Port  Limon,  etc.  The  water  is  deep  enough 
for  floating  the  largest  battleship  yet  built  and  the  natural 
harbour  spacious  enough  to  accommodate  a  navy,  yet  solitude 
still  surrounds  it;  though  some  time,  when  the  necessity 
arises,  it  must  become  the  prized  possession  of  a  nation  large 
enough  to  need  and  strong  enough  to  hold  it !  Such  a  gift 
of  Providence  to  man  cannot  be  allowed  forever  to  remain 
unutilised,  for  it  will  be  seized  and  held  by  right  of  "eminent 
domain." 

On  the  West  Coast.  Gonaives  and  St.  ]\Iarc,  ports  of 
the  west  coast,  are  important  places  commercially,  but  not 
often  visited  by  travellers  for  pleasure.  The  former  has 
about  18,000  population,  engaged  chiefly  in  agriculture,  and 
exports  large  quantities  of  mahogany  and  dye  woods.  From 
the  town  of  Gonaives  the  Haitian  patriot,  Toussaint  I'Ouver- 
ture,  was  kidnapped  previous  to  his  exile  to  France. 

Behind  the  port  of  St.  Marc  lies  the  magnificent  plain  of 


HAITI  265 

the  Artibonite.  a  river  of  great  volume  coming  down  from 
the  interior  mountain  chain  of  the  island,  with  bordering 
lands  of  exceeding  fertility.  On  the  plains  sugar-cane, 
tobacco,  and  cotton  can  be  grown ;  in  the  hills  the  best  quality 
of  coffee,  cacao,  etc.  Centrally  situated  as  it  is,  between 
North  Haiti  and  the  South,  St.  Marc  has  been  a  fighting 
ground  for  frequent  battles  between  the  Haitians  in  their 
numerous  civil  wars.  The  climate  is  said  to  be  healthful, 
the  scenery  is  attractive,  but  there  are  no  hotels  or  places  of 
resort  for  the  general  traveller. 

Within  the  great  gulf  that  indents  the  west  coast  of  Haiti 
is  the  largest  island  that  lies  off  its  shores,  that  of  Gonave, 
which  is  35  miles  in  length  by  8  in  breadth,  is  covered  with 
fine  forests,  and  contains  a  lake  in  its  centre,  also  springs 
of  pure  water.  It  is  scantily  inhabited,  but  is  resorted  to  by 
natives  of  the  coast  for  fishing  and  the  rare  woods  which 
abound  in  the  forest. 

It  is  sometimes  called  Gonaive,  the  name  having  been  de- 
rived from  the  native  Indian  word  Giianabo,  it  is  thought, 
when  the  subjects  of  Queen  Anacaona — such  as  survived 
.the  massacre  committed  by  Ovando  in  the  first  decade  of  the 
sixteenth  century — took  refuge  here  from  Spanish  oppres- 
sion. 

Port  au  Prince.  The  capital  and  largest  city  of  Haiti, 
Port  au  Prince,  sometimes  called  Port  Republicain,  lies  at  the 
bottom  of  a  deep  gulf,  on  a  slope  facing  west,  and  contains 
between  60,000  and  70,000  inhabitants.  Owing  to  its  con- 
tiguity to  a  vast  and  fertile  region  that  needs  only  intelligent 
cultivation  to  become  a  treasure-house  of  wealth,  its  natural 
advantages  are  great ;  but  in  the  matter  of  ministering  to  the 
needs  or  demands  of  travellers  it  is  lamentably  lacking.  It 
has  been  said,  and  with  feeling,  by  some  who  have  been  com- 
pelled to  remain  in  the  city  any  length  of  time,  that  no  one 
would  go  there  who  was  not  obliged  to !  Said  an  officer 
of  the  French  navy  who  was  there  at  intervals  during 
forty  years :  'Tn  my  acquaintance,  the  city  has  not  changed 
in  all  that  time,  except  to  become  more  wretched  and 
dirtier." 

It  may  still  be  said,  as  was  remarked  by  a  traveller  many 
/ears  ago  of  this  city:     "The  gutters  are  open,  pools  of  stag- 


266  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST  INDIES 

nant  and  fetid  water  obstruct  the  streets  everywhere,  and  re- 
ceive constantly  accessions  from  the  inhabitants  using  them 
as  cesspools  and  sewers.  There  are  few  good  buildings  in 
town  and  none  in  the  country,  the  torch  of  the  incendiary 
having  been  applied  at  short  intervals,  and  no  encouragement 
is  offered  to  rebuild,  either  through  protection  of  the  govern- 
ment or  local  enterprise.  It  is  also  as  true  of  Port  au  Prince 
as  of  Cape  Haitien,  that  buildings  destroyed  by  earthquake 
or  fire  are  rarely  replaced,  and  the  nearest  approach  to  re- 
building is  seen  in  a  slab  shanty  leaning  against  the  ruins 
of  a  larger  structure." 

Port  au  Prince  is  a  half-ruined  city,  with  a  few  buildings 
which  once  were  fine,  as  the  government  palace  on  the 
Champ  de  Mars;  the  barn-like  cathedral,  where,  in  order 
to  gratify  the  sentiment  of  the  people,  saints  and  virgins  are 
painted  black  or  brown,  the  prevailing  hue  of  the  population. 

The  finest  building  in  the  city  was  formerly  the  national 
palace,  a  rambling,  one-story  structure  of  brick  and  wood. 
It  is  the  official  residence  of  the  President  of  the  Republic, 
who  "receives"  on  certain  days,  when  visitors  are  allowed 
to  approach  his  "Excellency,"  who  is  guarded  by  soldiers 
and  sometimes  surrounded  by  members  of  his  staff.  This 
palace  occupies  the  seaward  front  of  a  neglected  field  am- 
bitiously called  the  Champ  de  Mars,  upon  which  are 
occasionally  displayed  the  ragged  remnants  of  the  Haitian 
army.  The  city  is  generally  in  a  state  of  siege,  or  under 
martial  law,  and  barefooted  soldiers,  ragged  and  dirty,  may 
be  seen  standing  guard  on  every  corner,  while  Gatling  guns 
adorn  the  squares  and  even  the  corridors  of  the  palace.  It 
is  very  likely  that  the  visitor  will  have  his  attention  drawn 
to  these  men  of  ^lars,  for.  as  their  pay  is  scanty  and  rarely 
forthcoming  at  that,  they  are  forced  to  appeal  to  charity  when 
off  duty  and  make  the  rounds  of  the  city,  hat  in  hand,  for 
chance  contributions. 

Market-Places  and  Hotels.  The  market-places  are  large 
enough,  and  were  originally  well  situated,  but,  like  all  other 
municipal  constructions,  they  are  allowed  to  become  deposits 
of  filth  until  the  rains  of  the  wet  season  wash  them  clean. 
They  are  worth  visiting,  even  if  for  no  other  purpose  than  to 
study  the  Haitianised  Africans  from  the  country,  who  come 


HAITI  267 

in  with  fruits  and  vegetables,  sometimes  with  meats.  The 
meats  are  poor,  the  fruits  delicious.  There  is  rarely  any 
beef  to  be  had  in  Haiti  of  a  quality  good  enough  for  con- 
sumption by  the  visitor,  and  the  so-called  "mutton"  is  usually- 
derived  from  goats. 

The  hotels  of  Port  au  Prince  partake  of  that  intermittent 
character  begotten  by  frequent  revolutions  and  change  of 
government,  and,  in  fact,  there  is  no  very  good  hotel  in  the 
city.  There  is  one  near  the  port  and  one  on  the  verge  of 
the  city,  at  the  Champ  de  Mars,  which  is  old  and  ram- 
shackle, but  its  meals  are — or  were — excellent  and  well 
served.  Still,  the  visitor  is  advised  not  to  linger  in  this  city, 
unless  he  meet  with  some  of  the  few  white  people  here,  who 
might  invite  one  to  their  country  seats  at  La  Coupe,  about 
5  miles  up  the  hills. 

La  Coupe  is  the  summer,  or  warm-weather,  residence  of 
the  wealthier  class  of  Port  au  Prince,  and  presents  some- 
what the  appearance  of  a  well-to-do  suburb  of  an  island 
better  favoured  in  its  inhabitants  than  Haiti.  It  lies  at  an 
altitude  of  1.200  feet  above  the  sea,  and  the  views  over 
the  great  bay,  especially  at  sunset  and  by  moonlight,  are 
superb.  The  temperature  here  is  several  degrees  below  that 
of  the  city,  which  ''hangs  around  the  nineties."  for  a  cool  sea 
or  mountain  breeze  is  playing  all  the  time.  There  are  some 
fine  residences  here,  as  the  various  foreign  consuls  favour 
the  spot.  Any  change  from  the  purgatory  of  living  in  that 
low-lying,  fever-breeding  capital  would  be  agreeable;  but 
La  Coupe  is  really  beautiful  as  to  its  location.  A  most 
attractive  feature  of  the  place  is  a  natural  bath  beneath 
lofty  trees,  where  the  air  is  always  fresh  and  cool,  even  at 
midday. 

Home  of  the  Voodoo.  Haiti  is  the  American  home  of 
the  African  serpent  worship,  vaudoux,  or  voodooism.  Here, 
despite  frantic  declarations  to  the  contrary,  it  is  said  still  to 
flourish,  especially  in  the  mountains  and  deep  forests.  In 
the  museum  of  the  Petit  Seminaire,  at  Port  au  Prince,  one 
may  see  objects  which  were  used  not  only  in  the  practice 
of  the  black  art  of  voodooism,  but  in  cannibal  ceremonies 
which  are  the  outgrowth  of  the  former.  Derived  from 
Africa,  this  worship  of  the  "great  green  serpent"  has  spread 


268  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST  INDIES 

throughout  the  western  part  of  the  island  until  it  is  said  to 
be  general.  The  taste  for  human  blood  may  have  been  ac- 
quired at  the  time  of  the  massacres  of  the  French,  when 
infants  were  sacrificed  to  the  African  deity. 

Haitian  Serpent  Worship.  The  high  priest  of  the  ser- 
pent deity  is  known  as  the  papa  loi  and  the  high  priestess  the 
mainan  loi,  or  the  "father"  and  the  "mother  king,"  and  their 
commands  are  absolute.  They  do  not  always  insist  upon  a 
human  offering,  known  as  the  "goat  without  horns,"  but 
are  generally  satisfied  with  a  cock  or  a  goat.  The  ceremony 
is  the  same,  however.  The  victim  is  taken  to  an  isolated 
hut  in  the  forest,  strung  up  to  the  rafters  by  its  feet  and 
its  throat  cut,  the  blood  being  drunk  by  the  sectaries  and 
the  flesh  afterward  cooked  and  eaten.  Then  ensue  dancing 
and  song,  followed  by  the  grossest  forms  of  debauchery.  It 
is  not  reassuring  to  residents  of  the  city  to  know  that,  ac- 
cording to  open  declarations  in  the  press  of  Port  au  Prince 
not  many  years  ago,  certain  men  and  women  had  carried  on 
a  business  of  killing  human  beings  and  selling  their  flesh  in 
the  public  markets !  The  death  penalty  was  inflicted  upon 
these  savages;  but  though  the  authorities  have  made  many 
attempts  to  extirpate  the  evil,  voodooism  still  flourishes  and 
has  hundreds,  probably  thousands,  of  votaries. 

If  one  were  desirous  of  witnessing  a  voodoo  ceremony  he 
could  be  gratified,  report  says,  without  going  far  from  Port 
au  Prince ;  but  it  might  be  at  the  risk  of  his  life,  for  the 
enraged  and  excited  worshippers  would  certainly  destroy  a 
white  onlooker  if  they  were  to  penetrate  his  disguise.  Al- 
leged adventures  of  this  sort  have  been  published,  and  a 
thorough  exposition  of  the  serpent  worship  with  its  attendant 
cannibalism  has  been  made  in  Sir  Spencer  St.  John's  sensa- 
tional book.  The  Black  Republic.  The  author  was  for  twelve 
years  British  Minister  Resident  and  Consul-General  at  Port 
au  Prince,  and  obtained  his  information  there.* 

Highways  and  Railroads.    One  might  say  that  there  are 

*The  latest  and  best  work  on  Haiti  in  recent  vears,  however— Haiti, 
her  History  and  her  Detractors,  bv  J.  N.  Legrer  (Envoy  Extraordinary 
and  Minister  Plenipotentiary  of  the  Haitian  Republic  in  the  United 
States) — vig'oronsly  combats  these  statements.  This  book  should  be 
read  bv  all  who  are  desirous  of  better  acquaintance  with  Haiti  and 
her  people,  for  it  is  a  masterly  presentment  by  a  native  of  the  Republic, 
who  is  perfectly  equipped  for-  the  task. 


HAITI  269 

no  roads  in  Haiti  and  not  be  far  from  the  truth.  There  were 
roads,  magnificent  highways,  constructed  by  the  French,  the 
remains  of  which  the  Haitians  have  utilised,  as  they  have 
the  deteriorating  coffee  plantations  which  their  former 
masters  left  behind  them  when  expelled  from  the  island  or 
massacred ;  but  the  present  owners  seem  content  with  trails 
such  as  sufficed  their  barbarous  ancestors  in  Africa.  As  for 
bridges,  it  is  a  common  saying:  "Never  go  over  a  bridge 
in  Haiti  if  you  can  pass  around  it!"  There  are  many  rivers 
in  the  island  which  might  carry  fertility  to  millions  of  acres 
if  their  waters  were  used  in  irrigation,  but  which  roll  on  to 
the  sea  unutilised.  All  these  are  forded,  but  rarely  are  they 
bridged. 
A  trail  exists  from  Port  au  Prince  to  the  south  coast  of 
Santo  Domingo,  passing  the  lakes  Fondo  and  Enriquillo, 
through  a  fascinating  country,  but  the  journey  would  de- 
mand courage  and  determination  on  the  part  of  the  traveller. 
Another  connects  the  capital  with  Miragoane  and  Jeremie  on 
the  west,  and  with  St.  ]\Iarc,  Gonaives,  and  Cape  Haitien  on 
the  north.  Owing  to  the  fact  that  foreigners,  especially 
white  foreigners,  have  no  rights  in  realty  in  Haiti,  and  to 
another  notorious  fact — that  it  is  difficult  to  obtain  redress 
for  properties  destroyed — there  are  few  great  and  successful 
undertakings  in  the  island  in  which  capital  is  employed. 
Adjoining  Port  au  Prince  is  a  large  and  fertile  plain,  the 
Cul  de  Sac,  where  sugar  and  cotton,  as  well  as  other  paying 
products,  might  be  grown  on  an  immense  scale,  and  there  are 
other  extensive  plains  of  like  character,  while  the  forests 
teem  with  valuable  woods ;  but  all  these  natural  resources 
remain  unexploited  as  yet,  except  in  a  desultory  way,  owing 
to  the  obstructive  policy  of  the  Haitians. 
"If  Haiti  ever  becomes  civilised,"  says  Sir  Spencer  St.  John, 
"and  if  ever  roads  are  made,  there  are  near  Port  au  Prince 
summer  health  resorts  which  are  perfectly  European  in  their 
climate." 

Referring  to  his  landing  at  Port  au  Prince.  James  Anthony 

Froude,  in  his  Englisli  in  the  JVcst  Indies,  exclaims: 

"I  had  seen  Jacmel,  and  therefore  thought  myself  prepared 

for  the  worst  which  I  should  find.     Jacmel  was  an  outlying 

symptom;  Port  au  Prince  was  the  central  ulcer.     Long  be- 


270  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST  INDIES 

fore  we  came  to  shore  there  came  off  whiffs,  not  of  drains, 
as  at  Havana,  but  of  active  dirt  fermenting  in  the  sunlight. 

.  .  .  We  were  in  a  Paris  of  the  gutter,  with  boulevards  and 
places,  fiacres,  and  crimson  parasols.  The  boulevards  were 
littered  with  the  refuse  of  the  houses  and  were  foul  as  pig- 
sties, and  the  ladies  under  the  parasols  were  picking  their 
way  along  them  in  Parisian  boots  and  silk  dresses.  I  saw 
a  fiacre  broken  down  in  a  black  pool,  out  of  which  a  blacker 
ladyship  was  scrambling.  Fever  breeds  so  prodigally  in  that 
pestilential  squalor  that  40,000  people  were  estimated  to  have 
died  of  it  in  a  single  year." 

Jacmel  and  Other  Ports.  Southeast  of  Port  au  Prince,  on 
the  southern  coast  of  the  Tiburon  peninsula,  lies  the  city  of 
Jacmel,  which  has  a  beautiful  bay,  or  open  roadstead,  par- 
tially sheltered  by  coral  reefs.  Behind  it,  as  at  the  capital, 
rise  w^ooded  hills  and  mountains,  and  the  scenery  is  fine ; 
but  the  city  itself  a  second  Port  au  Prince  in  its  ruins,  its 
stenches  and  its  population.  There  are  no  special  attrac- 
tions here  for  the  traveller,  as  one  may  pursue  his  investiga- 
tions of  people  and  resources  at  better  advantage  in  the  capi- 
tal, or  at  the  Cape.  The  streets  are  filthy,  hotels  non- 
existent, boarding-houses  intolerable. 

Jacmel  is  visited  by  steamers  of  the  Hamburg-American 
Line,  the  Atlas  service,  and  by  those  of  the  Royal  Dutch 
West  Indian  Mail,  the  former  weekly,  and  the  latter  fort- 
nightly. The  British  Royal  Mail  used  to  touch  at  Jacmel. 
sailing  between  Jamaica-Barbados,  but  has  discontinued  this 
service. 

The  Hamburg- American  intercolonial  steamer  Prdsident 
makes  a  monthly  trip  from  St.  Thomas  and  return,  touch- 
ing at  Porto  Rican,  Dominican  and  Haitian  ports. 

One  of  the  best  ports  in  Haiti  is  that  of  Miragoane,  about 
70  miles  west  of  the  capital,  on  the  south  shore  of  Port  au 
Prince  Gulf.  The  country  behind  it  is  mountainous  and  well 
adapted  for  coffee,  of  which  large  quantities  are  shipped,  as 
well  as  of  dye  and  cabinet  woods.  Near  it  is  a  large  lake, 
17  miles  in  circuit,  with  a  depth  of  180  feet.  Not  far  from 
the  eastern  end  of  the  lake  is  the  port  of  Petit  GoaiJe,  which 
has  considerable  trade,  and  is  a  port  of  call  for  the  Ham- 
burg-American steamers. 


HAITI 


271 


Aux  Cayes,  a  port  with  fine  country  back  of  it,  lies  on  the 
southern  coast  of  the  peninsula,  within  a  great  curve  of  the 
shore.  It  exports  sugar,  coffee  and  dye  woods,  and  is  cele- 
brated for  the  excellent  quality  of  rum  that  is  produced  here 
in  quantities. 

The  westernmost  town  of  Haiti  is  Jeremie,  far  out  on  the 
northern  tip  of  the  Tiburon  peninsula,  with  a  healthful 
climate  and  the  outlet  of  a  fertile  but  isolated  region,  which 
produces  coffee  and  sugar-cane  for  export.  The  Hamburg- 
American  intercolonial  steamer  touches  here  oh  the  i6th  of 
each  month,  when  making  the  trip  from  Port  au  Prince  to 
St.  Thomas. 
Steamer  Communication. 


HAMBURG-AMERICAN  LINE 


ATLAS   SERVICE 


Leave . . , 
Call.... 
Leave. . , 
Leave.  . , 
Arrive  . 
Leave. . , 
Leave . . , 
Leave . . . 
Leave. . , 
Leave. . . 
Leave. . 
Leave. . . 
Leave.  .. 
Leave. . , 
Call.... 
Call.... 
Call.... 
Arrive  . 


Weekly   Sailings 

New  York Wednesday 

.  Inagua    ^Monday 

Cape    Haiti Wednesday 

Port    de    Paix Thursday 


.Port  au    Prince. 
.Port  au  Prince. 
.Petit   Gonaives.. 
.Petit  Goave.  . .  . 
.  Miragoane    .  . . . , 

.St.  Marc 

.Jeremie   

.Aux  Cayes 

.Jacmel   

.Santa    Marta..., 


Fares: 

$60— $70 

Return: 

$100— $110 


Friday 

Wednesday 
.  .Thursday 

Friday 

Friday 

. .  .Saturday 
. . .  Saturday 
, . .  .  Monday 
.  . .  .Monday 
Friday 


,  Port  au  Prince Sunday 

Jeremie    Sunday 

Inagua   Sunday 

New  York Friday 

INTERCOLONIAL    CRUISE 

BETWEEN 

Jamaica,  Haiti,  Santo  Domingo,  Porto  Rico  and 
St.  Thomas 

A  regular  monthly  service  is  maintained  between  the  islands 
of  St.  Thomas,  Porto  Rico,  Santo  Domingo,  Haiti,  and 
Jamaica  by  the  Hamburg-American  Line's  twin-screw  steam- 
ship Prasidcnt,  which  sails  from  St.  Thomas  on  the  3d  of 
each  month  on  the  following  itinerary : 


272  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST  INDIES 

Day  of 
From  Alonth 

St.   Thomas.  D.   W.   1 3 

San  Juan.  Porto  Rico 4 

San  Pedro  de  Macoris,  Santo  Domingo 6 

Domingo    City.    Santo    Domingo 8 

Azua.    Santo    Domingo 9 

Jacmel.   Haiti 10 

Aux  Cayes,   Haiti 12 

Kingston,    Jamaica 13 

Port  au  Prince,  Haiti 15 

Jeremie,    Haiti 16 

Aux  Cayes,   Haiti 18 

Jacmel.    Haiti 20 

Azua,    Santo    Domingo 21 

Domingo  City,   Santo  Domingo 22 

San  Pedro  de  ]\Iacoris,  Santo  Domingo 24 

San  Juan.  Porto  Rico 25 

St.  Thomas.  D.  W.  1 26 

Royal  Dutch  West  Indl\n  ]\Iail,  fortnightly  sailings. 


Luqaillo  Mountains,  Porto  Rico 


^s- 


I 


PORTO  RICO 


Aesi    D    fi^m  1       Oreen      E 


PORTO  RICO 

General  Description.  The  island  of  Porto  Rico  is  al- 
most* as  "square  as  a  brick,"  a  parallelogram  in  coastal  out- 
line about  100  miles  in  length  by  36  in  breadth.  It  lies  be- 
tween the  parallels  of  17°  54'  and  18°  30'  north  latitude  and 
65°  i3'-67°  15'  west  longitude,  having  contiguous  to  it  -the 
smaller  islands  of  Culebra  and  Vieques  on  the  east,  Mono 
and  Monica  on  the  west.  The  insular  mass  is  striking  in 
outline,  with  rounded  hills,  rising  to  a  central  mountain  3.600 
feet  in  altitude,  known  as  El  Yunque,  or  the  Anvil.  The 
lower  elevations  all  along  the  coast  and  the  verdurous  valleys 
are  carefully  cultivated,  only  the  very  high  hills  and  the 
mountains  being  clothed  in  forest.  Numerous  harbours  in- 
dent the  coast  all  around,  while  more  than  forty  rivers, 
besides  countless  rivulets,  flow  from  the  mountains  to  the 
sea.  Few  of  the  rivers  are  navigable  far  inland,  but  are 
short  lived,  abounding  in  falls  and  rapids,  which  make  them 
very  attractive. 

Climate  and  Vegetation.  The  climate  is  tropical,  and 
possesses  no  peculiar  characteristics,  except  that,  owing  to 
the  nearness  of  the  mountains  to  the  coast,  it  may  be  changed 
appreciably  by  a  short  climb.  Owing  to  the  constantly  blow- 
ing trade-winds  and  the  number  of  rapid  streams,  the  atmos- 
phere is  rendered  salubrious.  The  monthly  mean  temhcratuyc 
at  San  Juan  during  twenty  years  is  given  as  79°  F.,  the 
highest  at  noon  being  92°  and  at  evening  90°.  The  nights  are 
almost  invariably  cool  and  comfortable,  owing  to  the  breezes, 
and  except  for  local  causes  the  climate  is  healthful  in  the 
extreme.  As  the  island  is  within  the  hurricane  area,  it  is 
occasionally  visited  by  terrific  cyclones;  but  these  occur  only 
in  the  heated  months  of  summer  and  early  autumn,  the  win- 
ters being  free  from  them. 

Nothing  can  be  said  of  the  vegetation  that  has  not  already 
been  remarked  of  these  islands  in  general.  Porto  Rico  has 
been  likened  to  "Eden"  and  to  "Paradise,"  on  account  of 
its  vegetal  beauty,  and  it  has  a  certain  loveliness  of  its  own, 


274  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST   INDIES 

owing  to  the  smiling  valleys  embosomed  with  encircling 
hills;  but  it  is  surpassed  by  Haiti  and  some  portions  of 
Jamaica  in  this  respect.  Still,  it  is  beautiful  enough  to  de- 
serve all  the  encomiums  of  the  traveller  who  for  the  first 
time  gazes  upon  its  palm-bordered  shores  and  verdure-cov- 
ered hilltops.  In  brief,  all  the  tropical  fruits,  flowers,  trees 
grow  here  spontaneously.  The  soil  is  remarkably  rich,  and 
has  been  cultivated  for  centuries  in  sugar-cane,  coffee, 
bananas,  etc.  The  island  is  the  home  of  coffee  and  tobacco, 
some  of  the  valleys  producing  berries  of  the  former  as  good 
as  the  best,  and  leaves  of  the  latter  equal  to  the  far-famed 
Vuelta  Abajo  of  Cuba.  Sugar-cane  is  the  leading  crop,  coffee 
and  tobacco  following  after,  with  increasing  tendency  to 
the  growing  of  citrus  fruits,  which  here  arrive  at  perfection 
in  a  perfectly  frostless  climate. 

As  will  appear  in  the  pages  following,  the  island  contains 
numerous  hot  and  mineral  springs,  long  celebrated  for  their 
curative  qualities,  and  should  become,  owing  to  its  direct 
communication  wnth  the  United  States  and  the  stability  of 
government  now^  enjoyed,  a  favourite  resort  for  people  from 
the  North. 

Population.  The  island  is  one  of  the  most  densely  pop- 
ulated in  the  West  Indies,  and  contains  about  a  million 
people,  some  600.000  of  them  white  (mainly  of  Spanish  ex- 
traction), 60.000  negroes,  and  the  remainder  "mixed."  The 
native  Indians  long  ago  disappeared,  as  in  all  the  Greater 
Antilles,  where  the  Spaniards  practised  their  cruelties,  and 
the  only  evidence  of  their  former  existence  here  consists  in 
stone  implements  and  weapons  of  war.  images,  and  collars, 
which  have  been  found  in  caves  or  buried  in  the  graves  of 
Indian   chieftains. 

The  American  Administration.  The  American  adminis- 
tration of  Porto  Rico  has  been  eminently  successful  in  de- 
veloping the  latent  resources  of  the  island,  in  estg,blishing 
law  and  order  among  the  people,  and  schools  for  those  in 
need  of  education.  Even  American  "politics"  could  not  vitiate 
the  great  constructive  work  performed  by  the  military  gov- 
ernment, which  laid  broad  and  deep  the  foundations  upon 
which  the  civil  government  was  based.  Sailing  in  the  same 
ship  \vith  the  peace  commissioners  in   1898  w^ere  those  en- 


PORTO  RICO  275 

trusted  with  the  important  mission  of  establishing  post-offices 
throughout  the  island.  During  the  period  of  armistice,  and 
with  the  retirement  of  the  Spanish  soldiery,  the  postal  service 
was  carried  along  until,  when  American  occupation  was 
assured,  the  insular  system  was  already  well  established. 
There  are  now  eighty  post-offices  in  operation,  "conducted  on 
lines  identical  with  the  service  in  the  United  States,  and  con- 
trolled exclusively  by  the  Post-office  Department  in  Wash- 
ington." Fifty  of  these  are  money-order  offices  and  seventy- 
five  of  the  postmasters  are  native  Porto  Ricans. 

Schools  and  Churches.  The  established  church  of  the 
island  is.  of  course,  the  Roman  Catholic,  which  has  cathe- 
drals in  San  Juan  and  Ponce,  large  church  buildings  in  all 
towns  and  cities,  and  supports  many  charities.  Until  the 
American  occupation  the  only  Protestant  church  was  an 
Episcopal  chapel  in  Ponce,  then  established  about  twenty 
years ;  but  since  then  various  denominations  have  invaded 
the  field,  and  nearly  every  city  and  tow-n  of  importance  has 
its  mission,  the  Baptists  alone  having  25  stations  and 
churches,  the  Methodists  as  many,  the  Presbyterians  66, 
with  a  medical  missionary,  a  training  school  for  ministers, 
and  at  San  Juan  the  "best  equipped  hospital  on  the  island, 
where  hundreds  of  patients  are  treated  each  month." 
Besides  this  hospital  there  are  municipal  institutions  of  this 
character  in  most  towns,  several  private  ones  in  San  Juan 
and  Ponce  and  a  naval,  military  and  marine  hospital  at  San 
Juan  managed  by  the  United  States  Government. 

When  the  last  census  was  taken  there  were  nearly  150,000 
Porto  Ricans  who  could  neither  read  nor  write.  Wonder- 
ful progress  has  been  made  in  educational  matters,  however, 
and  soon  it  may  be  the  proiid  boast  of  the  natives  that  only 
the  aged,  who  passed  through  their  formative  period  under 
Spanish  influences,  are  illiterate.  The  children  learn  readily 
and  are  rapidly  acquiring  the  English  language,  being  assisted 
by  enthusiastic  teachers.  As  the  population  of  Porto  Rico 
has  doubled  every  forty  years  since  the  beginning  of  the 
nineteenth  century,  it  behooves  the  Americans  not  only  to 
teach  the  children  their  language,  but  to  inculcate  a  liking 
for  their  "institutions."  The  most  praiseworthy  of  these 
institutions,   the   common   school,    has   been   carried   to   the 


276  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST   INDIES 

remotest  hamlet  in  the  island,  so  that  even  the  jibaro,  or 
"poor  white,"  can  secure  an  elementary  education.  There 
are  now  in  the  island  more  than  i,ooo  common  schools, 
3  high  schools,  4  industrials,  37  night  schools,  11  agricul- 
turals,  and  6  kindergartens,  with  1,000  teachers  and  a  total 
attendance  of  above  44,000. 

Public  Holidays.  The  "church  holidays,"  or  saints'  days, 
as  in  all  Spanish-speaking  countries,  number  almost  as  many 
as  there  are  days  in  the  year ;  but  the  United  States  Govern- 
ment has  decreed  the  following  as  legal  holidays  in  Porto 
Rico: 

New  Year's  Day January  ist 

Washington's  Birthday ; February  22d 

Emancipation  Day ]\Tarch  22d 

Good  Friday ^ As  fixed 

Memorial  Day May  30th 

Independence  Day July  4th 

Landing  Day July  25th 

Labour  Day First  ^Monday  in  September 

Election  Day November,  as  fixed 

Thanksgiving  Day November,  as  fixed 

Christmas  Day December  25th 

"Public  Order,  Health,  etc.  The  order  that  prevails 
throughout  the  island,  which  is  perfectly  safe  to  visit  any- 
where, at  any  time,  is  owing,  in  the  first  place,  to  the  tract- 
able disposition  of  the  natives,  and,  in  the  second,  to  the 
peerless  police  and  military  force  organised  by  the  Ameri- 
cans. The  famed  insular  police  force,  numbering  700  men, 
is  composed  entirely,  with  exception  of  its  chief  and  assist- 
ant chief,  of  natives,  who  have  been  drilled  to  a  remarkable 
degree  of  efficiency.  These  men  preserve  order  throughout 
the  island,  with  its  3,600  square  miles  of  territory  and 
million  inhabitants,  and  crimes  of  violence  are  said  to  be 
very  rare.  Another  body  of  men  that  has  been  brought  to 
the  highest  pitch  of  organisation  is  the  Porto  Rico  pro- 
visional regiment,  all  except  the  officers  being  natives  of  the 
island.  It  has  been  often  commended  for  its  drills,  the 
soldierly  bearing  of  its  members,  and  their  progress  in  physi- 
cal and  mental  development. 


PORTO  RICO  277 

It  has  been  the  aim  of  the  American  administration  to  in- 
struct the  natives  in  every  department  of  local  government, 
in  order  to  make  them  independent  and  self-reliant.  The 
Administration,  in  fact,  has  carried  paternalism  to  the  ex- 
tent of  watching  over  the  people's  health  with  extreme  solici- 
tude, improving  sanitary  conditions,  building  and  maintaining 
hospitals,  establishing  a  chemical  laboratory  for  testing  the 
purity  of  foods,  and  even  treating  local  diseases.  It  was 
learned,  for  instance,  that  many  of  the  jibaros  were  suffering 
from  uncinariasis,  or  the  "hook-worm,"  intestinal  parasite, 
and  measures  were  at  once  taken  to  combat  the  evil.  The 
hook-worm  was  said  to  be  responsible  for  the  general  de- 
bility and  disinclination  to  labour  invariably  manifested  by 
the  jibaros,  and  they  were  taken  in  hand,  with  the  result 
that,  deprived  of  their  hook-worms,  they  recovered  strength 
and  health.  More  than  5,000  were  treated  in  six  months  from 
the  start  and  returned  to  their  families  "completely  cured," 
according  to  the  physicians'  reports. 

Public  Lands.  Forest  Reserves.  One  of  the  most  use- 
ful of  the  new  institutions  is  the  Agricultural  Station  estab- 
lished near  Mayaguez,  which  is  under  the  supervision  of  the 
United  States  Department  of  Agriculture  at  Washington. 
The  results  of  its  experiments,  printed  in  bulletins  and 
issued  in  Spanish  and  English,  are  becoming  manifest  by 
improved  conditions,  especially  in  coffee  culture  and  the 
raising  of  fruits  and  vegetables.  There  is  very  little  mineral 
wealth  in  the  island,  though  the  mountain  streams  once 
showed  traces  of  gold,  and  some  copper  has  been  mined. 
The  chief  resource  of  the  island  is  agriculture ;  but  there 
is  not  much  land  available  for  new  settlers,  and  less  than 
100,000  acres  of  public  lands. 

A  tract  about  65,000  acres  in  extent,  in  the  rugged  moun- 
tain region  of  the  eastern  part  of  the  island,  has  been  set 
aside  as  a  Forest  Reserve,  which,  as  it  is  a  veritable  tropical 
wilderness,  will  form  one  of  the  most  interesting  of  gov- 
ernment reservations.  It  will  be  converted,  probably,  into  a 
tropical  park,  and  contains  within  its  confines  the  highest 
mountain  in  the  island.  El  Yunque,  many  streams,  with  sev- 
eral fine  cascades,  besides  a  virgin  forest,  which  is  practically 
unexplored.     It  is  called,  from  the  mountain  range  running 


278  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST   INDIES 

through  it,  the  Liiquillo  Reserve,  and  can  be  reached  from 
Rio  Grande  or  Luquillo.  on  the  northeast  coast. 

Hotels,  etc.  There  are  hotels  of  a  sort  in  all  the  towns 
and  cities,  but  not  all  habitable.  In  San  Juan  the  "Colonial," 
"Inglaterra,"  and  "Las  Palmas" ;  in  Ponce  the  "Frances" 
and  two  others ;  a  tine  hotel  at  Coamo  Hot  Springs ;  a  good 
one  at  IMayaguez,  one  at  Arecibo,  and  native  fondas,  or 
crude  hostelries  of  the  old  Arabic  style,  in  nearly  all  the 
towns. 

Insular  Highways.  The  Spaniards  are  not  noted  as 
road-builders ;  but  in  Porto  Rico  they  constructed  at  least 
one  highway  of  importance,  that  between  Ponce  on  the  south 
coast  and  San  Juan  on  the  north,  84  miles  in  length,  over 
the  central  mountain  range,  which  is  a  v/onder  of  engineering 
skill.  A  line  of  motor  vehicles  has  been  established  over 
this  Camino  Real,  or  "King's  Highway,"  as  the  Spaniards 
called  it,  performing  the  service  for  which  at  least  a  hundred 
horses  were  formerly  required.  Fare  one  way,  $8.  The 
journey  over  this  royal  road  should  be  taken  by  every  visitor 
to  the  island,  affording  as  it  does  the  entire  range  of  tropical 
vegetation  and  scenery  within  the  compass  of  a  single  day's 
observation. 

There  is  an  intermittent  highway  around  the  island,  but  not 
at  all  places  and  times  available  for  wheeled  vehicles,  while 
most  of  the  so-called  roads  across  the  island  are  mere  bridle- 
trails.  At  the  coming  of  the  Americans,  in  1898,  there  were 
about  150  miles  of  very  good  road  in  Porto  Rico,  which 
mileage  has  been  trebled  by  them,  so  there  are  now  more 
than  700  kilometers  of  macadam  highways,  400  of  which  have 
been  recently  built,  with  mileage  constantly  increasing.  The 
upkeep  of  these  highways,  in  an  island  of  tropical  storms 
and  torrential  rains,  is  very  high,  averaging  about  $500  per 
mile,  and  necessitating  constant  supervision,  especially  in 
the  mountains.  Bridges  are  massive  and  numerous  also,  the 
number  of  fording-places  decreasing  yearly. 

The  following  table  gives  the  distances,  in  miles,  between 
the  chief  points  on  the  island  over  ordinary  roads : 


PORTO  RICO 


279 


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Railroads.  A  railroad  was  projected  to  encircle  the  island 
many  years  ago.  but  at  the  present  writing  not  more  than 
two-thirds  of  it  has  been  constructed.  The  first  completed 
section  was  from  Sail  Juan  to  Camuy,  along  the  north  coast,  a 
distance  of  about  100  kilometers ;  the  second  from  Agiiadilla 


28o  A  GUIDE  TO   THE  WEST   INDIES 

to  Mayague::,  44  kilometers,  and  another  space  was  covered 
between  Ponce  and  Yaiico,  with  several  gaps  unfilled  until 
quite  recently,  when  it  was  completed  as  far  as  Ponce,  a  dis- 
tance of  278  kilometers.  There  are  two  trains  a  day  between 
these  points,  one  each  way,  and  the  fare  between  San  Juan 
and  Ponce  is  $10.50.  First-class  rates  are  3  cents  per  kilo- 
meter, or  about  5  cents  per  mile.  Between  San  Juan  and 
Ponce  it  is  about  a  ten-hour  run,  and  a  night  train  is  con- 
templated  for   the   service. 

A  narrow-gauge  steam  road  runs  from  Catano,  on  the  bay 
opposite  San  Juan,  to  the  town  of  Bayamon,  and  there  is 
also  a  narrow-gauge  road  between  the  town  of  Anasco,  on 
the  west  coast,  and  the  health  resort  of  Alto  Sana. 

Electric  trolleys  ply  between  San  Juan  and  Rio  Picdras, 
with  a  branch  to  the  beach ;  and  between  Ponce  and  its 
Playa,  3  miles. 

Newspapers  and  Libraries.  There  are  36  daily  and 
weekly  papers  in  the  island,  of  which  number  two,  the  San 
Juan  and  the  Ponce  A'ezvs,  were  published  in  English,  both 
being  dailies. 

Libraries  were  early  established  in  Porto  Rico,  the  first 
one,  belonging  to  the  Dominican  Friars,  having  been,  de- 
stroyed by  Dutch  buccaneers  in  1625.  The  American  Free 
Library  at  San  Juan  contains  some  valuable  books.  The 
Porto  Rican  Atheneum  Library  and  that  of  the  Casino 
Espanol  are  rich  in  volumes  on  French  and  Spanish  liter- 
ature. Scientific  and  technical  books  are  to  be  found  in  the 
library  of  the  San  Juan  Department  of  Public  Works.  There 
is  a  pedagogical  library  at  San  Juan,  which  is  one  of  several 
established  since  American  occupation;  Ponce  possesses  a 
small  collection,  about  2,000  volumes,  arid  ]\Iayaguez  one  of 
5.000  volumes. 

Banks  and  Clubs.  The  banking  business  of  the  island 
is  on  a  prosperous  footing,  and  transacted  by  eight  incor- 
porated and  one  unincorporated  institutions.  The  Banco  de 
Puerto  Rico  is  the  oldest ;  the  Banco  Territorial  y  Agricola 
makes  long-term  loans  and  mortgages;  the  First  National 
Bank  of  Porto  Rico,  organised  1903,  and  the  American  Colo- 
nial Bank,  organised  1899,  are  flourishing  institutions. 

The  oldest  social  club  in  San  Juan  is  the  Casino  Espanol, 


PORTO  RICO  281 

founded  1871,  next  in  age  being  the  Atcnco  Puerto riquefio, 
1876;  the  latter  a  literary  society,  both  with  spacious  quar- 
ters, and  amply  providing  for  members,  who  receive  guests 
hospitably.  The  newer  "institutions"  of  this  character  are 
the  Officers'  Club  of  the  Porto  Rican  Regiment,  in  the  Ballaja 
Barracks;  the  San  Juan  Yacht  Club,  founded  1899,  with 
spacious  quarters  in  the  Marina,  and  an  increasing  fleet  of 
boats;  the  Country  Club  of  San  Juan,  with  golf  links  and 
fine  sandy  beach  at  Santtirce,  and  chiefly  patronised  by 
Americans  fond  of  outdoor  sports. 

As  in  Cuba,  the  better-class  natives  are  devoted  to  club  life, 
and  every  town  of  importance  has  its  casino,  where  they 
meet. 

Cities,  Towns  and  Villages.  All  the  cities  and  large 
towns  of  Porto  Rico  lie  along  the  coast,  but  there  are  many 
interesting  villages  occupying  the  interior,  accessible  only 
by  roads  and  bridle-trails.  Altogether  there  are  more  than 
sixty  settlements  in  the  island,  and  to  prevent  confusion 
they  will  be  alphabetically  arranged.  The  first  in  this  order 
to  be  presented  is  a  charming  hill  town  on  the  northern  slope 
of  the  island  and  at  the  headwaters  of  the  Rio  Arecibo. 
Adjuntas,  with  about  2.500  inhabitants,  and  19.500  in  the 
district,  is  situated  at  an  altitude  of  2.400  feet  above  sea  level. 
about  15  miles  from  Ponce,  with  which  it  is  connected  by  a 
magnificent  highway.  It  contains  a  post-office,  telegraph 
station,  a  Catholic  and  a  Protestant  church,  and  supports 
seven  public  schools;  but  there  is  no  good  hotel  in  town, 
though  it  is  a  popular  mountain  retreat  for  those  seeking 
a  change  of  climate  from  the  coast.  The  second  highest 
peak,  Guilarte,  altitude  3,000  feet,  is  in  this  district,  afford- 
ing glorious  views  of  surrounding  country.  Attractions  here 
are  coffee  estates,  cascades,  of  which  there  are  many,  moun- 
tain scenery,   cool  atmosphere,  and  pure  water. 

Aguada,  or  the  "Watering- Place."  is  on  the  northwest 
coast,  about  5  miles  distant  from  the  port  of  Aguadilla.  with 
which  it  is  connected  by  rail,  and  also  by  a  coastal  wagon 
road.  The  township  contains  about  10.000  people,  the  town  it- 
self, situated  on  a  hill  but  a  few  minutes'  walk  from  the 
ocean,  about  2,000.  This  spot  shares  with  Aguadilla,  from 
which  it  is  separated  by  the  Culebrina  (or  Culverin)  River, 


282  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST   INDIES 

the  honour  of  having  been  the  first  watering-place  of  the  ships 
of  Columbus  in  Porto  Rico.  It  was  on  his  second  voyage, 
1493,  that  Columbus  discovered  the  island,  coming  up  from 
the  Lesser  Antilles.  Coasting  its  southern  shore,  he  touched 
at  various  points,  but  the  only  one  of  which  an  account  has 
been  preserved  as  a  landing-place  is  on  the  beach  near  the 
present  settlements  above  named.  His  fleet  was  then  on  its 
way  to  the  north  coast  of  Santo  Domingo,  where  a  garrison 
had  been  left  the  year  previous,  and  the  great  bay  of  Agua- 
dilla  lying  conveniently  on  his  route,  he  put  in  there  to 
supply  his  ships  with  water.  A  beautiful  spring  gushed  from 
the  hills  and  ran  in  a  stream  of  considerable  volume  into  the 
bay.  It  is  probable  that  some  of  his  Carib  captives  knew 
of  this  spring  (as  those  Indians  frequently  made  marauding 
expeditions  to  the  island  and  carried  off  the  natives)  ;  but 
at  any  rate,  an  authentic  record  has  been  preserved  of  the 
landing  here.  It  was,  in  fact,  from  the  beauty  and  attractions 
of  this  bay  that  the  present  name  Puerto  Rico,  the  Rich, 
or  Noble,  Port,  was  bestowed  by  Columbus.  This  name  has 
been  corrupted  by  ignorant  Americans  into  Porto,  a  bastard 
English  word  without  the  sanction  of  authority,  but  which 
has  become  to  an  extent  legitimised  by  vulgar  usage.  A  mon- 
ument has  been  erected  at  the  mouth  of  the  Culebrinas  in 
honour  of  Columbus,  and  thus  the  two  townships  divide 
the  prestige  derived   from  his  landing  between  them. 

Aguada  contains  a  Catholic  church,  two  interesting 
"hermitages,"  and  the  ruins  (it  is  claimed)  of  a  building  once 
the  residence  of  Lieutenant  Sotomayor,  who  was  an  officer 
under  Juan  Ponce  de  Leon.  It  is  in  the  Guayobo  ward  of 
the  town.  There  is  a  public  school  here  and  four  rural 
schools  in  the  township.  The  chief  industry  is  the  raising 
of   sugar-cane. 

Aguadilla.  There  is  no  more  picturesque  town  in  Porto 
Rico  than  this,  lying  between  limestone  hills  and  the  shore, 
embowered  in  cocoa-palms,  and  still  guarding  as  a  sacred 
treasure  that  famed  spring  from  which  Columbus  watered 
his  fleet.  It  forms  a  fountain  at  the  western  end  of  the 
town,  the  waters  of  which  fall  in  cascades  into  a  stone 
basin,  and  thence  flow  through  the  streets  to  the  shore.  The 
memorable  landing  is  commemorated  by  a  monumental  cross 


-13 

<: 


Scene  in  Porto  Rico 


PORTO  RICO  283 

of  native  marble,  and  the  people  of  Aguadilla  take  pride  in 
showing  the  visitor  the  scenes  connected  with  the  greatest 
event  in  Porto  Rico's  history. 

Aguadilla  has  a  population  of  about  18,000,  and  is  distant 
from  San  Juan  about  87  miles  by  rail ;  from  Mayaguez,  south, 
27  miles.  It  has  a  fine  harbour  and  is  a  commercial  place 
of  some  importance,  with  sugar,  rum,  oranges,  and  pine- 
apples as  its  chief  products.  Fine  scenery,  excellent  climate, 
good  water,  railroad  and  telegraph  station,  telephone,  etc. 

Aguas  Buenas,  a  small  place  9  miles  from  Cayey  and  27 
from  San  Juan, .  is  the  centre  of  a  township  containing  some 
8,000  people,  celebrated  for  its  coffee,  pure  spring  water, 
and  healthful  climate.  A  good  wagon  road  connects  with 
Caguas  and  with  the  great  military  road  across  the  island 
between  San  Juan  and  Ponce. 

Aibonito,  or  Aybonito — "How  Beautiful" — is  an  interior 
town  of  2,500  inhabitants,  situated  directly  on  the  Camino 
Real,  or  King's  Road,  about  midway  between  Ponce  and 
San  Juan.  From  its  elevated  situation,  nearly  3,000  feet 
above  the  sea,  it  has  long  been  noted  as  a  healthful  acclimati- 
sation station,  with  pure  air,  clear  running  streams,  and 
beautiful  scenery.  Its  strategic  value  is  also  great,  and  it 
was  here  that  the  American  army  of  invasion  was  halted 
by  news  of  the  peace  protocol,  while  training  its  guns  upon 
the  Spanish  intrenchments,  remains  of  which  may  still  be 
seen.  The  town  contains  five  public  schools,  a  church,  hos- 
pital, etc.,  but  no  good  hotel.  A  half-way  station  between 
the  cities  on  the  coasts.  Climate  cool  and  delightful ;  prod- 
ucts chiefly  tropical,  as  coffee,  bananas,  tobacco,  etc. 

Afiasco,  near  the  west  coast,  6  miles  from  Mayaguez.  has 
4,000  inhabitants,  and  13,000  within  its  jurisdiction  (section 
of  which  it  is  the  most  important  settlement).  The  district 
is  traversed  by  two  railway  lines,  one  a  narrow-gauge  to 
Alto  Sano,  an  interior  town.  Its  chief  products  are  sugar 
and  tobacco,  with  hundreds  of  acres  under  cultivation.  The 
town  contains  six  public  schools,  a  church,  post-ofifice,  and 
telegraph   station,  but  no  good  hostelry. 

Afiasco  holds  the  unique  record  of  having  been  the  district 
in  which  a  native  cacique  put  to  test  the  alleged  "immor- 
tality" of  the  Spaniards,  in  the  second  decade  of  the  sixteenth 


284  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST   INDIES 

century.  The  Indians  becoming  rebellious  on  account  of 
severe  labour  in  the  mines,  murdered  all  the  white  men  they 
could  catch  outside  the  settlements.  The  Spaniards  had  told 
them  that  they  were  immortal,  and  for  a  while  they  believed 
the  story';  but  Cacique  Agueynaba  (the  chieftain  who  had 
hospitably  received  Ponce  de  Leon  in  1508,  and  given  him 
all  the  gold  he  possessed)  finally  conceived  a  theory  of  his 
own  and  proceeded  to  test  it.  In  accordance  with  his  orders, 
two  of  his  followers  took  an  unprotected  white  man,  whom 
they  were  carrying  from  place  to  place  on  their  shoulders, 
and  while  fording  a  stream  threw  him  down  and  held  his 
head  under  water  several  hours.  Determined  to  make  sure 
of  his  death,  if  it  were  possible,  they  dragged  the  body  to 
the  bank  and  sat  by  it  during  tw^o  days  and  nights,  until 
completely  convinced  that  he  was  mortal,  like  themselves. 
Their  report  to  their  chief  started  the  rebellion,  which 
eventually  ended  in  the  extinction  of  the  Indians.  The 
stream  in  w^hich  this  occurrence  took  place  was  the  Rio 
Guanroba,  tradition  relates,  in  the  fertile  valley  of  Anasco; 
and  if  the  exact  site  cannot  be  located,  at  least  a  beautiful 
waterfall  near  the  town  is  worth  a  visit  for  itself  alone. 
Arecibo  lies  due  west  from  San  Juan,  35  miles  in  a  direct 
line  and  50  by  rail,  wnth  6,000  inhabitants,  and  about  36,000 
in  the  district.  Its  harbour  is  open  and  exposed.  The  town, 
founded  1537,  is  well  built,  with  a  fine  church  and  public 
buildings,  a .  plaza,  with  streets  running  from  it  forming 
regular  squares,  a  theatre,  jail,  barracks,  etc.  It  lies  directly 
north  of  Ad  juntas,  at  the  mouth  of  the  Arecibo  River,  the 
valley  of  which  is  picturesque  in  the  extreme.  About  7  miles 
inland,  southeast  of  the  town,  is  Concejo,  where  a  great 
rock  may  be  seen  more  than  300  feet  in  height,  which  is  cut 
off  vertically,  and  in  its  face,  about  half  way  up,  is  the  en- 
trance to  a  great  cavern  containing  arches,  grottos  and  stal- 
actites. The  river  itself  has  numerous  tributaries  with  beauti- 
ful cascades,  the  waters  of  which  are  diverted  to  the  city,  and, 
for  the  purpose  of  irrigation,  to  the  lands  of  the  contiguous 
plantations.  The  boundaries  of  these  plantations  are  marked 
by  orange  and  lemon  trees,  w^hich  give  a  pleasing  aspect  to 
the  landscape,  and  the  homes  of  the  planters  are  surrounded 
by  tall  palms,  bananas,  coffee  trees,  and  sugar-cane.    Among 


PORTO  RICO  285 

the  industries  of  the  district  may  be  mentioned  a  tannery,  an 
ice  factory,  a  steam  saw-mill,  cigar  factories,  seven  distilleries 
and  eight  cane  mills. 

Arroyo,  on  the  southeast  coast,  has  a  commodious  har- 
bour with  a  good  light,  and  is  connected  with  Fajardo,  east, 
and  Gitayama,  west,  by  highways.  It  is  called  one  of  the 
prettiest  towns  in  the  island,  and  occupies  a  healthful  situa- 
tion. Within  its  jurisdiction  are  about  10,000  acres  of  fertile 
cane  land,  from  which  are  shipped  large  quantities  of  sugar, 
molasses,  and  rum.  Although  isolated,  the  better  classes 
of  Arroyo  are  well  educated,  many  of  them  speaking  Eng- 
lish. A  wonderful  natural  attraction  here  is  found  in  the 
caves  of  Aguas  Biicnas,  three  in  number,  called  Osciiro, 
Clara,  and  Ermita,  from  the  first  of  which  runs  the  Caguitas 
River,  a  subterranean  stream,  for  about  1,200  feet  of  its 
course. 

Barranquifas  is  an  inland  hamlet  northwest  of  Aibonito, 
elevated  and  healthful,  with  about  8,000  inhabitants  in  its 
jurisdiction,  engaged  chiefly  in  agricultural  pursuits.  It  has 
three  public  and  seven  rural  schools  and  a  church. 

Barros,  31  miles  distant  from  •  Ponce,  with  Barranquitas 
lying  between  it  and  the  military  road  at  Aibonito,  is  in 
about  the  centre  of  the  island.  Situated  as  it  is  among  the 
rugged  spurs  of  the  great  central  range,  it  is  surrounded 
by  beautiful  scenery  and  is  noted  for  the  beauty  of  its 
cascades,  called  Salfos.  The  only  means  of  communication 
at  present  are  narrow  trails,  impassable  in  the  rainy  season. 
Most  of  its  14,000  inhabitants  are  engaged  in  growing  coffee, 
which  finds  a  congenial   home  on  the  hill   slopes. 

Bayamon  is  a  station  on  the  American  Railroad,  and  is 
also  more  directly  connected  with  San  Juan  by  a  narrow- 
gauge  steam  road  and  ferry  via  Catafio.  It  has  a  good  public 
school,  a  college  managed  by  Sisters  of  Charity,  a  Catholic 
church  and  Episcopal  mission.  Its  industries  comprise  six 
sugar  mills,  ice,  tobacco,  match,  and  brick  factories.  Within 
the  district  is  the  oldest  foundation  of  a  Spanish  settlement 
in  the  island,  the  ruins  of  which  are  known  as  Pueblo  Vicjo. 
It  was  founded  by  Juan  Ponce  de  Leon  in  1509.  and  named 
by  him  Caparra.  Here  the  Spaniards  lived  a  few  years,  but 
as   the  settlement   was  exposed   to  Indian    raids,   and   later 


286  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST  INDIES 

invaded  by  an  army  of  ants,  they  abandoned  it  for  the  more 
advantageous  location  of  San  Juan,  which  is  still  the  capital 
of  Porto   Rico. 

Cabo  Rojo,  or  Red  Cape,  is  a  town  of  about  2.500  in- 
habitants on  the  southwest  coast,  west  of  San  German  and 
south  of  Mayaguez.  It  lies  in  a  rugged  valley  drained  by 
two  small  streams,  and  was  founded  in  1774.  It  has  a  church, 
theatre,  Masonic  temple,  eight  public  schools,  an  asylum, 
hospital,  a  casino,  and  a  hermitage.  The  country  contiguous 
is  devoted  to  pasturage,  tropical  fruits,  and  especially  cocoa- 
palms,  though  the  chief  industry  is  derived  from  the  deposits 
of  fine  salt  on  the  seashore,  which  is  exported  in  great  quanti- 
ties. It  is  off  the  railway  line,  but  connected  with  neigh- 
bouring towns  by  roads  and  trails. 

Caguas,  a  community  of  about  20,000,  is  situated  on  a  plain 
containing  nearly  100  acres,  the  property  of  the  municipality. 
It  is  22  miles  from  San  Juan,  at  the  junction  of  the  great 
Military  Road  and  another  to  the  southw^est  coast,  and 
reckons  its  wealth  at  about  a  million  dollars.  The  town- 
ship contains  eight  graded  and  as  many  rural  schools,  with 
one  public  school  of  high  class,  an  asylum  for  the  poor  sup- 
ported by  the  local  government,  and  a  church.  As  it  is  in 
the  tobacco  region  of  the  island,  the  chief  industry  is  the 
manufacture  of  cigars,  for  which  there  are  three  large  fac- 
tories in  the  town.  It  has  a  post-office  and  telegraph  station, 
but  no  good  hotel.  Caguitas,  in  this  district,  is  locally  noted 
for  its  hot  springs,  and  there  are  marble  and  limestone 
quarries  in  its  suburb  of  Canahoncito.  A  line  of  automobiles 
was  established  between  San  Juan  and  Caguas  in  1907,  with 
daily  trips ;  fare  one  way  $3,  round  trip  double. 

Camuy,  on  the  northwest  coast,  about  9  miles  west  of 
Areciho,  occupies  an  area  of  two  square  acres,  and  of  the 
27,000  acres  in  its  jurisdiction,  some  23,000  are  forest  cov- 
ered. While  healthful  i_-  situation,  it  is  not  architecturally 
attractive,  its  only  pretentious  structures  being  a  church  and 
a  municipal  building. 

Caparra  is  yet  known  as  Pueblo  Viejo,  or  the  Old  Town, 
but  nothing  of  it  now  remains  except  a  line  of  crumbling 
walls  and  an  aqueduct.  The  ruins  may  be  visited  by  crossing 
San  Juan  harbour  on  ferry  and  taking  the  road  leading  from 


PORTO  RICO  287 

Catafio  into  the  country,  which  is  fertile  and  extremely  in- 
teresting. Like  Aguadilla,  Caparra  is  inseparably  linked  with 
the  conquest  and  discovery  of  Porto  Rico,  for  when  Ponce 
de  Leon  was  residing  here  he  sailed  from  the  Bay  of  San 
Juan  to  and  through  the  Bahamas  in  quest  of  the  "Fountain 
of  Youth"  and  Florida. 

Carolina,  a  town  of  about  3,000  inhabitants,  lies  south- 
east of  San  Juan  17  miles,  on  an  elevation  overlooking  a 
pleasing  valley.  It  has  a  fine  climate,  good  sanitary  con- 
ditions, water  supply,  etc.,  and  is  the  present  eastern  terminal 
of  a  railroad.  The  town  contains  six  public  schools,  with 
five  in  the  country  districts,  a  Catholic  and  a  Protestant 
church,  well-built  city  hall,  and  a  public  square.  The  coun- 
try adjacent  supports  small  sugar  estates  and  dairy  farms, 
and  the  total  population  is  about  13,000. 

Cayey,  which  is  situated  on  the  central  longitudinal  axis 
of  the  island,  about  37  miles  south  of  San  Juan,  is  reached 
by  the  King's  Highway,  or  Military  Road.  It  possesses  a 
delicious  climate,  lying  at  an  altitude  of  2,300  feet  above  the 
sea,  and  is  a  favourite  resort  of  the  coast  dwellers  during 
the  heats  of  summer  time.  The  average  temperature  is  about 
75°  F.,  and  it  has  the  reputation  of  being  among  the  most 
healthful  spots  in  Porto  Rico.  The  large  brick  barracks 
built  by  the  Spanish  Government  for  the  acclimatisation  of 
its  recently  arrived  soldiers,  may  be  seen  on  the  outskirts 
of  the  town.  No  railroad  reaches  the  place,  but  it  is  well 
supplied  with  highways,  second  to  the  IMilitary  Road  in 
excellence  being  that  to  Guayama,  near  the  southeastern 
coast,  distant  14  miles,  for  traversing  which  horses  and 
carriages  may  be  hired  here  of  the  local  liveries.  Bridle 
trails  lead  into  the  hills  and  mountains,  to  the  cofTee  and 
tobacco  plantations,  with  which  Cayey  is  surrounded.  To- 
bacco is  grown  here  and  manufactured  into  cigars  from  native 
leaf,  which  is  pronounced  almost  equal  to  that  of  the  famous 
Vuelta  Aha  jo  of  Cuba.  Cigars  made  from  the  local  product 
may  be  bought  here  very  cheaply,  as  there  are  several  fac- 
tories in  town,  as  at  Caguas,  the  soil  and  climate  of  both 
districts  being  favourable  to  the  perfect  growth  of  tobacco. 
The  tobacco  fields  of  this  region  are  the  finest  in  the  island, 
and  the  most  advanced  methods  are  employed  in  cultivation, 


288  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST   INDIES 

one  of  the  interesting  sights  here  being  extensive  tracts  of 
tobacco  "under  cloth,"  looking  like  circus  tents  of  vast  dimen- 
sions. There  are  nine  public  schools  in  the  municipality,  a 
church,  city  hospital,  and  a  few  public  buildings  of  no  special 
interest. 

dales  is  a  hill  town  south  of  ^Manati,  with  which  and  the 
railroad  it  is  connected  by  a  good  wagon  road.  Situated 
at  an  elevation  of  over  2,000  feet,  it  possesses  a  delightful 
climate,  and  is  surrounded  by  mountains,  such  as  Peak 
Picachos,  3,000  feet,  which  offer  magnificent  views.  Most 
of  the  inhabitants  (about  18,000)  are  devoted  to  the  raising 
and  preparation  of  coffee,  which  flourishes  luxuriantly  here, 
and  is  largely  exported.  Copper  mines  have  been  discovered 
in  the  neighbourhood.  The  locality  contains  several  caves, 
the  cave  called  Arcliillos  being  the  most  extensive,  with 
beautiful  halls  hung  with  stalactites.  It  is  worth  a  visit,  and 
may  be  reached  from  San  Juan  by  rail  to  Manati,  thence 
highway  to  dales.  The  town,  which  suffered  greatly  from 
outrages  committed  by  Spanish  troops  soon  after  the  evacu- 
ation of  Ponce,  contains  a  small  hospital,  church,  and  sev- 
eral public  schools. 

Coamo,  20  miles  northeast  of  Ponce,  on  the  great  highway 
to  San  Juan,  was  founded  in  1646,  and  continued  Spanish 
until  the  second  week  in  August,  1898.  when  it  was  sur- 
rendered to  American  troops.  Within  the  jurisdiction  are 
about  15,000  people,  chiefly  engaged  in  raising  cattle,  sugar- 
cane, tobacco  and  tropical  fruits.  The  town  itself  is  unin- 
teresting, containing  few  buildings  of  importance,  save  a 
hospital,  church,  and  public  schools;  but  south  of  it  a  few 
miles  are  found  the  famous  Banos  de  Coamo,  w-ith  hot  and 
mineral  springs  of  great  efficacy  in  many  diseases.  Here 
is  an  excellent  hotel,  beautifully  situated  amid  the  hills,  with 
every  convenience  for  rest  and  comfort,  and  also  for  enjoy- 
ing the  medicinal  waters. 

Coamo  Springs  burst  from  the  southern  slope  of  the  moun- 
tains, not  far  distant  from  the  southern  coast.  They  are 
ideally  situated,  and  may  be  visited  on  the  journey  over  the 
Military  Road  between  Ponce  and  San  Juan.  It  is  beyond 
Coamo  that  the  real  ascent  of  the  mountains  begins — or 
the  descent  decreases — depending  upon  which  direction  one 


PORTO  RICO  289 

is  pursuing,  whether  going  northeasterly  to  San  Juan  or 
southwesterly  to  Ponce.  From  San  Juan  the  steepness  of 
the  ascent  becomes  noticeable  at  and  beyond  Cagiias,  whence, 
as  far  as  Covey,  the  road  winds  backward  and  forward  in 
gigantic  curves,  like  a  great  serpent  coiling  around  the  lesser 
elevations  of  the  mountain  backbone,  with  gradients  as  steep 
as  the  best  engiheering  skill  would  permit,  every  turn  reveal- 
ing a  glorious  panorama,  changing  continually,  and  ever 
beautiful.  The  hills  have  been  mainly  denuded  of  forest, 
and  their  rounded  summits  are  cultivated,  while  the  fertile 
valleys  which  they  guard  are  filled  with  the  lush  vegetation 
of  the  tropics,  as  bananas,  coffee,  tobacco,  cacao,  above  which 
tower  cocoa  and  ro3^al  palms.  An  altitude  of  3.300  feet  is 
attained  at  or  near  the  Sierra  de  Cayey,  where  the  last  half 
of  the  journey  lies  before  and  beneath  one,  going  in  either 
direction.  Then  comes  the  famous  Aibonito  Pass,  where 
the  road  runs  along  the  crest  of  a  ridge  so  narrow  that  the 
valleys  on  each  side  seem  to  be  separated  only  by  a  thin  wall 
that  a  mountain  tiood  might  breach.  The  ride  between  San 
Juan  and  Ponce  is  one  of  the  grandest  offered  the  traveller 
anywhere  in  the  world,  and  should  by  no  means  be  omitted 
from  one's  itinerary. 

Coiiicrio,  a  hamlet  of  the  mountainous  interior,  has  a 
population  of  some  10,000  people,  scattered  over  a  rich  agri- 
cultural region,  the  chief  product  of  which  is  a  fine  quality 
of  tobacco.  It  is  watered  by  numerous  streams,  principal  of 
which  is  the  Plata,  or  Silver,  the  source  of  the  hamlet's 
water  supply.  A  great  natural  curiosity  here  is  a  cavern 
which  resembles  the  interior  of  a  Gothic  church,  and 
abounds  in  curiosities.  The  climate  of  Comcrio  is  health- 
ful, but  the  place  itself  is  isolated,  and  though  only  17  miles 
from  San  Juan,  has  no  good  roads  running  thither.  A  road 
is  projected  through  Cidra  (a  small  town  in  the  hills)  to 
Las  Cruces,  which  is  on  the  great  Military  Road,  about  mid- 
way between  Caguas  and  Cayey,  and  another  to  Naranjito, 
directly  north,  to  Bayamon  and  Catano,  whence  there  is  a 
ferry  to  San  Juan. 

Corozal,  about  22  miles  by  road  from  San  Juan,  is  a  charm- 
ingly situated  hamlet  360  feet  above  the  sea,  so  healthful  that 
its  inhabitants  are  said  to  die  of  old  age  only,   the  annual 


290  A   GUIDE   TO   THE   WEST   INDIES 

death  rate,  if  correctly  reported,  being  2  to  4  per  cent.  The 
district  is  well  watered,  and  the  sands  of  the  Mavilla  River, 
a  branch  of  the  Cibuco,  have  yielded  nuggets  of  gold  several 
ounces  in  weight.  Good  roads  connect  with  Toa  Alta  and 
Dorado,  the  latter  on  the  American  Railroad. 

Culebra  is  one  of  the  two  islands  lying  off  Porto  Rico  and  in 
possession  of  the  United  States.  Approaching  Culebra  from 
San  Juan,  one  is  not  struck  by  any  pronounced  scenic  ef- 
fects, the  island  from  a  distance  looking  like  a  well-wooded, 
fertile,  hilly  spot  in  an  ocean  of  blue  and  large  because  of 
comparison  with  the  numerous  islets,  rocks  and  shoals  which 
pxtend  in  a  continuous  chain  and  barrier  from  Cape  San 
Juan  on  the  northeastern  corner  of  Porto  Rico,  southeast- 
wardly,  with  Culebra  as  a  terminus.  On  nearer  approach 
the  effect  of  w^ooded  hills  and  green  slopes  ends,  except  at 
certain  seasons,  for  as  a  matter  of  fact  there  is  little  rainfall 
in  the  island,  and  generally  the  fields  are  brown  and  dusty — 
thirsty  looking. 

Culebra  is  surrounded  by  small  islands  and  cays,  the  three 
largest  being  South  West  Cay,  North  East  Cay  and  Cule- 
brita,  the  last  situated  just  east  of  the  mainland,  and  upon 
whose  highest  point  is  located  the  red-towered  lighthouse. 
The  United  States  Government  has  established  a  naval  sta- 
tion at  Culebra,  and  in  the  commodious,  well-protected 
"Great  Harbour"  lies  one  of  the  olden  day  wooden  ships  of 
war,  the  U.  S.  S.  Alliance.  A  detachment  of  the  United 
States  Marine  Corps  and  about  one  hundred  blue  'jackets 
are  stationed  here.  Besides  the  Naval  Reservation  there 
are  two  small  towns,  Pueblo  Dewey  and  Camp  Roosevelt, 
where  the  majority  of  the  population  congregates. 

Culebra  has  no  industries.  There  are  several  cattle 
raisers  and  by  them  some  of  the  finest  of  beeves  are  raised 
for  export  and  local  trade".  The  soil  is  very  productive,  but 
the  scarcity  of  rain  or  fresh  water  is  discouraging  to  the 
land  owners. 

There  are  numerous  diversions  for  the  visitor  to  Culebra — 
good  fishing,  riding,  sailing,  canoeing  and  the  best  surf  bath- 
ing in  the  world  on  the  soft,  white,  crescent-shaped,  coral 
beaches  on  the  northern  side  of  the  island.  There  is  also 
good  hunting  at  certain  seasons  of  the  year — palomas,  tor- 


PORTO  RICO  291 

tolas,  tortolitas,  duck  of  various  kinds,  snipe,  etc.  There  are 
also  private  grounds,  where  if  the  hunter  desires  he  can 
chase  wild  goats  over  the  roughest  and  hardest  and  hottest 
trails  he  cares  to  follow. 

Culebra  has  no  public  accommodations  for  the  stranger 
within  her  gates  and  the  visitor  has  to  depend  upon  the  hos- 
pitality of  the  officers  stationed  there  or  seek  shelter  with 
some  native  householder ;  but  they  are  always,  I  venture  to 
say,  well  taken  care  of  and  enjoy  their  visit  while  it  lasts. 

To  reach  Culebra  from  Sail  Juan  it  is  necessary  to  go  to 
Fajardo  by  coach,  then  embark  in  a  little  uncomfortable, 
native  sloop,  which,  if  the  sea  and  winds  are  willing,  will 
make  the  journey  safely.  There  is  a  line  of  United  States 
Mail  boats  which  leaves  Fajardo,  touches  at  the  island  of 
Vieques  and  then  lands  at  Pueblo  Dewey  in  Culebra,  occupy- 
ing on  an  average  about  ten  hours  in  passage.  The  other 
method  lies  in  getting  permission  from  the  Commi#dant  of 
the  United  States  Naval  Station  at  San  Juan  to  go  to  Cule- 
bra in  the  Government  tug  sailing  each  week  on  Friday  at 
eight  o'clock  in  the  morning,  bearing  mail  and  stores  to  the 
marines  and  sailors  at  Culebra,  and  returning  on  jMonday 
or  Tuesday  of  the  following  week.* 

Dorado,  the  "Golden,"  occupies  a  small  hill  a  few  miles 
from  San  Juan,  on  the  American  Railroad,  by  which  it  is 
connected  with  the  Capital.  The  Plata  River  bounds  it  on 
the  east,  but  its  water  supply  is  obtained  from  two  smaller 
streams  called  Cachaco  and  San  Francisco.  The  district 
contains  about  3,000  inhabitants,  and  6,000  head  of  cattle, 
the  raising  of  which,  together  with  the  culture  of  coffee, 
tobacco,  sugar-cane  and  tropical  fruits,  occupy  the  people. 
There  is  a  church  in  town,  which  supports  four  public 
schools,  with  two  others  in  the  country  district. 

Fajardo,  port  of  Luquillo  and  Ceiha,  is  on  the  extreme  east- 
ern coast  and  has  a  population  of  about  17,000  in  the  dis- 
trict, with  twelve  public  schools  in  town  and  six  in  the  coun- 
try adjacent.  It  is  the  only  port  on  this  coast  considered  safe 
from,  northers,  being  protected  by  two  small  islets.  The  town 
contains  many  fine  houses,  three  Catholic  churches,  one  Prot- 

♦Communicated  by  Lieutenant  Giles  Bishop,  Jr.,  United  States 
Marine  Service. 


292  A  GUIDE  TO   THE   WEST   INDIES 

estant  mission,  and  a  hospital.  It  is  a  shipping  port  for  large 
quantities  of  sugar  and  coffee. 

Guamca  (see  Yauco). 

Guarabo,  an  inland  town  northwest  of  Humacao  and  east  of 
Caguas,  is  situated  in  a  healthful  valley  amid  lofty  hills. 
Population  of  the  district  is  about  8,500,  chiefly  engaged  in 
agriculture,  a  school  for  the  teaching  of  which,  with  capacity 
for  60  students,  has  been  recently  established  there.  Town 
contains  several  public  schools,  a  hospital.  Catholic  church 
and  Baptist  mission,  cigar  factories  and  rum  distilleries. 

Gnayaina,  on  the  southern  coast,  is  about  200  feet  above 
sea  level,  has  a  population  in  the  district  of  some  13,000 
and  is  the  outlet  of  an  extensive  sugar  and  cattle-raising 
country.  Its  wealth  is  estimated  at  $4,000,000.  The  town, 
which  is  supplied  with  pure  water  piped  to  the  houses,  sup- 
ports four  public  schools,  two  churches,  one  Methodist,  the 
other  Coolie,  and  a  hospital.  Iron  mines  are  worked  in  the 
neighbourhood. 

Guayanilla,  on  the  river  of  same  name,  fifteen  miles  from 
Fonce  by  the  Yauco  and  Ponce  Railroad,  has  a  commodious 
bay,  and  a  scattered  population  of  about  9,000'  souls.  An  un- 
interesting place.  Principal  products  sugar,  coffee,  rum,  to- 
bacco, cigars,  and  small  fruits. 

Hatillo  is  a  small  place  on  the  north  coast,  and  on  the 
railroad  between  Areciho  and  Camiiy;  population  of  town 
1.600,  of  district  10,000;  products  coffee,  tobacco  and  sugar. 
Ten  public  schools,  of  which  four  are  in  town  and  six  in  rural 
region. 

Hato  Grande  is  a  rural  community  of  some  11.000,  with 
a  town  population  of  2,000,  chiefly  agricultural.  The  climate 
of  the  district,,  which  has  an  area  of  33,000  acres,  is  very 
healthful,  and  the  resources  comprise,  besides  tobacco  and 
cattle,  iron,  sulphate  of  copper  and  two  mineral  springs.  The 
town,  situated  19  miles  from  Cayey,  has  four  graded  public 
schools  (five  in  the  rural  district)  and  a  church. 

Hormigueros,  town  and  jurisdiction,  on  the  railroad  be- 
tween Mayaguez  and  San  German,  contains  about  4,000  in- 
habitants, with  post-ofiice  and  telegraph  station,  some  fine 
buildings ;   few  attractions. 

Humacao,  on  the  river  of  that  name,  about  3  miles  from 


PORTO  RICO  293 

the  sputheast  coast,  was  founded  in  1793,  and  has  a  popula- 
tion in  the  entire  district  of  some  23,000  souls.  It  is  con- 
nected by  highways  with  the  Capital,  via  Juncos,  Gunabo, 
Caguas  and-  Rio  Piedras,  and  with  its  Play  a,  or  beach,  also 
with  towns  on  the  eastern  coast.  The  town  is  pleasantly  sit- 
uated, has  an  attractive  plaza,  a  fine  church,  town  house,  jail, 
barracks,  and  hospital.  Fifteen  schools  have  been  estab- 
lished in  the  municipality,  which,  though  isolated,  is  one  of 
the  most  progressive  in  the  island.  Its  industries  are  mainly 
agricultural,  sugar  and  tobacco  being  the  chief  products, 
with  several  large  steam  sugar-mills  in  successful  operation. 

Isabella,  a  village  of  less  than  1,000  inhabitants,  but  with 
about  1,400  in  its  jurisdiction,  is  on  the  northwest  coast, 
between  Quebradillas  and  Aguadilla,  with  which  it  is  con- 
nected by  rail.  Distance  from  Aguadilla,  10  miles.  The 
village  stands  about  300  feet  above  sea  level,  with  wide  streets, 
good  buildings  of  modern  construction,  and  a  plaza  adorned 
with  tropical  plants.  The  district  is  agricultural,  producing 
sugar-cane,  tobacco,  coffee,  and  tropical  fruits  in  great  quan- 
tities. It  contains  fourteen  public  schools,  four  of  which 
are  in  the  village. 

Juana  Dia.z,  about  12  miles  from  Ponce,  on  the  ^lilitary 
Road  across  the  island,  has  a  population  of  about  28,000  in 
the  district  or  municipality  and  2,200  in  the  town,  which 
supports  five  public  schools,  a  hospital,  and  a  Catholic 
church,  the  property  of  the  people.  An  old-style  aqueduct 
insufficiently  supplies  the  town  with  water,  though  there  is 
a  river  near  by  and  a  mineral  spring  noted  for  its  virtues. 
Coffee,  fruits,  and  vegetables  are  cultivated  in  the  hills. 
The  mineral  waters  of  Catoiii  are  excellent  for  stomach 
troubles.  In  the  district  of  Cintrona  quarries  of  gypsum  are 
worked,  and  in  that  of  Giiayabcl  is  a  cave  well  worth  ex- 
ploring. 

Juncos,  a  hamlet  on  the  eastern  slope  of  the  Luquillo  Range, 
is  about  equidistant  between  Caguas  and  Humacao.  The 
population  of  the  district  is  about  8,000,  the  total  wealth 
half  a  million  dollars.  Sugar  and  tobacco  are  the  chief 
products,  there  being  five  steam  sugar-mills  in  the  district, 
and  several  rum  distilleries.  Of  the  eight  public  schools 
here,  three. are  graded  and  five  are  rural,  or  "free  for  all." 


294  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST  INDIES 

The  climate  is  healthful,  the  region  well  watered,  two  streams 
flowing  through  it,  and  in  the  barrio  bf  Ccibanorte  an  iron 
mine  is   in   successful   working. 

Lares  stands  upon  a  hill  about  1,000  feet  above  sea  level 
and  overlooks  several  fine  valleys.  It  is  an  interior  town, 
with  about  18,000  people  in  its  jurisdiction;  casinos,  a 
municipal  library,  eleven  public  schools,  two  of  which  are 
in  the  populous  centre,  a  Masonic  temple,  an  asylum  for  the 
poor,  a  church  capable  of  holding  2,000  worshippers,  etc. 
Connected  by  highways  with  Arecibo,  18  miles;  Aguadilla, 
24  miles ;  Mayaguez,  25  miles,  and  33  miles  distant  from 
Ponce.  Its  Sunday  market  is  very  interesting,  the  natives 
from  the  interior  region  gathering  there ;  the  climate  is 
salubrious,  the  water  pure,  and  scenery  agreeable.  Its  most 
important  product  is  coffee,  and  the  wealth  of  the  community 
is  estimated  at  about  $2,000,000.  A  notable  natural  curiosity 
in  CaUejones  Ward  is  the  great  cavern  called  Cueva  Cajita, 
where  images  and  stone  implements  made  by  the  aborigines 
have  been  found. 

Las  Marias  is  a  town  of  some  700  inhabitants  situated 
on  the  summit  of  a  hill  1,100  feet  above  the  sea,  inland 
from  Mayaguez,  with  which  it  is  connected  by  a  good  high- 
way. The  Alto  Sano  Railway  from  Afiasco  also  has  a  station 
a  short  distance  from  town,  the  jurisdiction  of  which  con- 
tains about  11,000  people,  and  produces  coffee,  sugar-cane, 
tobacco,  etc.  Owing  to  the  altitude,  the  temperature  is 
delightful,  and  three  rivers  flowing  through  the  district 
furnish  pure  water  as  well  as  several  fine  falls,  which  are 
utilised  as  motive  power  for  coffee-hulling  mills,  etc.  Above 
the  town  300  feet  is  a  spring  of  delicious  water,  which 
supplies  the  municipality,  and  sanitary  conditions  are  good. 
Important  buildings  are  the  church,  city  hall,  and  a  large 
structure  once  used  as  quarters  for  Spanish  troops,  now 
occupied  by  three  public  schools,  which  are  in  a  flourishing 
condition. 

Loisa,  on  the  northeast  coast,  about  equidistant  from  Caro- 
lina and  Rio  Grande,  is  a  cool  and  healthful  place  in  the 
midst  of  vast  tracts  of  sugar-cane,  tobacco,  and  coffee  lands. 
There  is  a  large  steam  sugar  factory  here,  owned  in  London, 
which  has  a  capacity  of  32,000  bags  of  sugar  per  annum. 


PORTO  RICO  295 

The  district  contains  eight  public  schools  and  a  Catholic 
church,  but  no  municipal  buildings  of  importance,  and  no 
hotel. 

Liiquillo  is  on  the  northeast  coast,  northwest  of  Fajardo, 
the  nearest  railroad  station  being  at  Carolina,  nearly 
20  miles  distant.  The  town  contains  some  1.500  inhabitants, 
the  district  7,000,  and  is  well  watered,  some  of  the  streams 
carrying  gold  in  their  sands, 

Manati  lies  on  the  American  Railroad.  17  miles  east  of 
Arccibo,  3  miles  from  the  ocean,  and  in  a  fertile  valley 
drained  by  the  Manati  River,  which  abounds  in  edible  fish. 
This  valley  yields  large  crops  of  sugar-cane,  rice,  tobacco, 
coffee,  fruits,  and  vegetables.  Town  and  district  contain 
23.000  inhabitants,  with  six  graded  schools  in  the_  former 
and  nine  rural  in  the  latter.  As  the  town  is  the  market- 
place for  dales  and  Morovis,  which  are  farther  inland,  it 
is  one  of  the  most  active  and  bustling  centres  on  the  northern 
coast.  No  peculiar  attractions,  save  for  a  spacious  cavern 
not  far  from  town,  which  is  known  as  Swallow  Cave. 

Mariacao  is  a  delightfully  situated  and  healthful  town  about 
1,500  feet  above  sea  level,  15  miles  from  Mayaguez,  on  the 
highway  to  Las  Marias.  It  is  surrounded  by  amphitheatre- 
shaped  hills,  which  are  cultivated  in  coffee,  abundantly  sup- 
plied with  pure  water,  and  possesses  a  cool,  almost  temperate 
climate,  which  makes  it  attractive  to  dwellers  in  the  heated 
districts  during  the  summer  months. 

Mayagucz,  third  place  of  importance  in  Porto  Rico,  with 
about  39,000  population  in  its  jurisdiction  and  15.000  in  the 
city,  is  on  the  mid-western  coast  of  the  island,  and  possesses 
a  capacious  harbour.  The  temperature  of  the  district  is  said 
rarely  to  exceed  80  degrees  in  summer  time,  and  mountains 
are  near  by,  from  which  cool  breezes  blow,  and  several 
rivers  descend  that  in  olden  time  were  famous  for  their 
golden  sands.  The  American  Railroad  connects  with  all 
places  on  the  north  coast  as  far  east  as  San  Juan  and  Caro- 
lina ;  also  a  tramway  with  Aguadilla  and  the  port,  or  playa. 
The  city  is  clean  and  well  built,  containing  no  less  than  forty 
streets,  wide  and  straight;  four  plazas,  one  of  which  holds 
an  imposing  statue  of  Columbus,  another  profusely  adorned 
with   flowers;    handsome   houses,    bridges,    fountains.     The 


296  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST   INDIES 

value  of  Alayaguez  realty  is  estimated  at  $5,000,000;  its 
z'ega,  or  cultivated  plain,  is  very  fertile,  and,  like  the  vale 
of  Arecibo,  dotted  with  homes  of  planters.  It  has  one  of 
the  best  market-places  in  the  island,  which,  constructed  of 
iron  and  stone,  covers  1.500  square  yards,  and  cost  $70,000. 
Important  structures  are  the  city  hall,  San  Antonio  Hospital, 
jail,  police  headquarters,  fire  department,  public  warehouses 
and  slaughter-house.  The  municipal  library  contains  above 
5,000  volumes,  and  is  open  to  the  public.  There  are  three 
Catholic  churches  and  chapels,  and  a  Protestant  mission. 
The  city  proper  has  few  industries,  but  ships  from  its  port 
immense  quantities  of  sugar,  coffee,  pines,  and  cocoanuts, 
being  the  outlet  for  a  vast  coffee  region,  its  average  annual 
export  amounting  to  some  20,000,000  pounds. 

The  suburbs  of  Mayaguez  are  attractive,  and  one  should 
take  drives  and  railway  trips  north  and  south,  as  well  as  rides 
into  the  hills.  One  of  the  show-places  is  Montserrate,  about 
7  miles  up  in  the  hills,  where  there  is  a  hermitage,  a  church 
on  the  top  of  a  mountain,  whence  the  views  are  most  mag- 
nificent, comprising  vast  and  fertile  valleys  watered  by 
num.erous  streams,  and  plains,  bounded  by  the  sea,  contain- 
ing Honnigueros,  San  German,  and  Cabo  Rojo.  Leading 
hotel,  the  "Paris,"  which  is  well  situated.  . 

Moca  is  a  small  but  wealthy  village  of  about  1,200  inhab- 
itants, wnth  12,000  in  the  jurisdiction,  5  miles  distant  from 
the  port  of  Aguadilla,  northwest  coast.  A  road  also  con- 
nects with  San  Sebastian,  an  interior  town.  The  situation 
is  excellent,  healthful,  the  water  supply  coming  from  wells 
and  rivers. 

Morovis  is  one  of  the  towns  which  finds  an  outlet  for 
its  products  in  Manati,  already  mentioned.  About  11,000 
people  dwell  in  the  jurisdiction,  which  produces  coffee, 
sugar-cane,  etc.,  the  chief  industries  being  cattle-raising  and 
rum-distilling.  There  are  many  streams  in  the  region,  form- 
ing beautiful  cascades,  owing  to  the  steepness  of  their  descent 
from  the  hills,  and  near  the  town  is  a  charming  grotto,  which 
was  formerly  inhabited  by  Indians,  worthy  a  visit  from  the 
curious. 

Naguaho,  on  the  southeast  coast,  10  miles  northeast  of 
Humacao,  is  the  place  where,  according  to  local  tradition, 


PORTO  RICO  297 

Christopher  Columbus  first  landed  in  the  island,  coming  up 
from  the  Caribees.  A  settlement  that  existed  here  in  early 
times  was  attacked  and  destroyed  by  the  Caribs,  but  the 
present  site  is  extremely  picturesque,  occupying  a  hilltop 
with  magnificent  views.  The  town  is  at  some  distance  inland 
from  the  playa,  or  port,  which  is  a  good  one,  sheltered  from 
northers,  and  accessible  to  deep-draught  vessels.  The  contig- 
uous country  is  largely  cultivated  in  sugar-cane,  but  the 
chief  industry  consists  in  cattle-raising,  up  to  20,000  head 
being  shipped  annually  to  other  islands.  The  town  contains 
a  church,  municipal  building,  several  public  schools,  hospital, 
and  a  pretty  plaza  with  a  fountain  in  its  centre  supplied 
with  water  from  the  hills.  Here  the  people  get  their  water 
supply,  and  here  meet  for  chat  and  gossip.  Aside  from 
agriculture,  mining  has  been  attempted  in  the  district,  where 
several  deposits  of  copper  have  been  discovered. 

Naranjito,  21  miles  south  of  San  Juan,  and  connected  with 
Bayainon  by  a  good  road,  is  a  small  place,  containing  scarcely 
more  than  100  houses,  though  the  district  is  16,000  square 
acres  in  area,  with  about  7.000  population.  The  climate  is 
healthful,  the  products  of  the  region  consisting  chiefly  of 
coffee,  tobacco  and  cattle. 

Pennelas,  10  miles  from  Ponce,  in  the  southeastern  part  of 
the  island,  is  situated  in  a  fruitful  valley  surrounded  by 
mountains,  the  area  of  which  is  some  40,000  acres ;  population 
12,000.  The  town  is  isolated  and  infrequently  visited,  but 
contains  a  fine  plaza,  with  shaded  promenades,  a  church,  and 
a  few  public  buildings.  The  products  are  sugar-cane,  coffee, 
tropical    fruits,    etc. 

Ponce,  second  in  importance  of  Porto  Rico's  cities,  with 
a  population  of  26,000.  and  56,000  in  the  district,  lies  on  the 
south  coast,  3  miles  from  its  port,  or  playa.  It  is  hot,  but 
not  very  unhealthful,  the  annual  death  rate  averaging 
28  in  1. 000,  and  is  refreshed  by  breezes.  It  is  distant  from 
San  Juan  84  miles  by  the  great  Military  Road,  and  by  the 
railroad  around  the  north  and  west  coast  of  the  island 
about  170  miles;  fare,  $10.50  by  rail  and  $8  by  automobile. 
Its  harbour  is  not  a  very  good  one,  and  from  it  are  shipped 
great  quantities  of  island   produce. 

The  city  is  built  of  brick  and  stone,  very  little  wood  being 


298  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST   INDIES 

used  in  construction,  and  is  one  of  the  handsomest  in  the 
island,  though  surpassed  by  San  Juan  in  point  of  size.  The 
streets  are  regular,  and  a  fine  road  (though  very  dusty  in 
the  dry  season)  connects  with  the  playa,  where  most  of  the 
business  is  done.  More  than  a  hundred  vehicles  are  em- 
ployed in  the  city  and  playa  traffic,  and  the  total  wealth  of 
the  community  is  estimated  at  above  $12,000,000.  The  city 
boasts  twenty-one  public  schools,  with  thirty  more  at  the 
playa  and  in  the  rural  districts.  There  are  four  hospitals, 
a  Home  for  the  Indigent  and  Aged,  a  Ladies'  Home,  two 
Catholic  churches  and  an  Episcopal  and  two  Baptist  missions. 

Ponce  is  well  supplied  with  water  by  an  aqueduct  more 
than  2  miles  in  length ;  and  in  this  connection  it  may  be 
remarked  that  within  the  city  boundaries  are  some  excellent 
hot  springs,  the  Quintana  thermal  baths,  which  are  housed 
in  a  fine  structure  surrounded  by  gardens,  and  efficacious  in 
various  diseases. 

Ponce  was  founded  about  1600,  became  a  city  in  1877. 
and  of  its  nearly  forty  streets  the  choicest  are  Mayor, 
Saliid,  Villa,  Vivcs,  Marina,  and  Comercio.  Of  its  several 
squares,  the  chief  is  the  Plaza  de  Bonibas,  very  pleasant 
gathering-place,  where,  in  Spanish  times,  the  people  assem- 
bled to  enjoy  the  music  of  a  fine  military  band,  which  played 
from  7  to  9  in  the  evening.  The  Spanish  traditions  have 
been  respected  by  the  Americans,  and  the  plaza  is  still  the 
centre  of  pleasure  at  night,  where  the  residents  of  the  city 
meet  for  music  and  a  promenade.  The  city  has  long  been  noted 
for  its  very  fine  theatre,  called  the  "Pearl."  which  originally 
cost  to  build  more  than  70,000  pesos.  The  cathedral  is  said 
to  be  as  old  as  the  city,  is  more  than  250  feet  in  depth 
and  120  in  width,  with  richly  decorated  altars  and  costly 
ornaments.  All  the  native  manufactures  are  carried  on  at 
Ponce,  which  is  equipped  with  an  electric  plant,  telephone 
service  in  every  direction,  as  well  as  telegraph  lines,  of 
course ;  has  gas  works,  casinos,  banks,  a  large  market,  a 
municipal  library,  and  lastly,  two  unique  cemeteries  in  its 
suburbs.  The  Portuguese  River  divides  Ponce  into  the  city 
proper  and  the  Playa  (already  mentioned),  where  we  find 
the  custom-house,  captain  of  the.  port,  and  foreign  consuls' 
offices,  with  a  population  about  one-fourth  that  of  the  larger 


PORTO  RICO  299 

place.  The  excursions  here  are  various:  to  the  Quintana 
baths,  the  cascade  in  the  hills  behind  the  city,  and.  if  ad- 
venture be  sought,  over  the  new  highway  to  Adjuntas, 
Utuado,  and  Arecibo,  crossing  the  island.  Ponce  became 
an  American  city  by  surrender  to  General  Miles  on 
July  28,  1898.  It  has  three  hotels,  the  Frances,  Inglaterra, 
and  Espafiol,  rating,  in  the  order  named,  at  $2.50  to  $3  per 
day. 

Qucbradillas,  17  miles  from  Agiiadilla,  has  about  17,000 
people  within  its  jurisdiction,  the  chief  products  of  which 
are  coffee,  tobacco,  and  sugar,  with  a  small  supply  of  tropical 
fruits. 

Rincon  is  an  insignificant  place  about  midway  between 
Aguadilla  and  ]\Iayaguez,  on  the  railway,  with  less  than 
500  inhabitants  in   town  and   7,000  in  the  district. 

Rio  Grande,  situated  25  miles  to  the  eastward  of  San 
Juan,  betv.een  3  and  4  miles  from  the  ocean,  is  connected 
with  the  Capital  by  road  and  railway,  the  latter  as  far  as 
Carolina.  It  occupies  the  mouth  of  a  beautiful  valley  of  the 
Luqiiillo  Sierra,  the  highest  mountain  chain  in  the  island, 
and  is  healthful  in  situation  as  well  as  rich  in  soil  and 
resources.  All  the  tropical  products  may  be  raised  here, 
the  hill  forests  abound  in  valuable  cabinet  woods  and  timber, 
the  numerous  streams  have  yielded  golden  grains  from  their 
sands.  The  climate  is  very  salubrious,  and  though  the  town 
is  supplied  with  water  from  the  rivers,  the  place  is  healthful. 
The  population  of  the  entire  jurisdiction,  which  is  very 
extensive,  is  about  12,000.  There  is  an  ancient  church  in 
town,  and  twelve  public  schools  flourish  here,  in  one  of 
which  English  is  taught. 

Rio  Piedras,  7  miles  south  of  San  Juan,  with  which  it  is 
connected  by  public  highway  and  two  railroads,  is  a  most 
promising  place,  on  account  of  its  proximity  to  the  Capital. 
its  delightful  situation  and  abundant  supply  of  pure  water. 
The  town,  containing  about  1.500  inhabitants,  is  a  junction- 
place  of  the  roads  to  Caguas  and  Carolina,  contains  a  theatre, 
a  casa  de  recreo,  or  country  seat  of  former  Spanish  gov- 
ernors, two  churches,  one  Catholic  and  the  other  Protestant, 
an  asylum  for  the  poor,  and  eight  schools,  besides  the  newly 
founded  normal  school,  a  site  for  which  was  dedicated  by 


300  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST   INDIES 

the  municipality.  Products  of  the  district  (population 
14,000),  sugar,  tobacco,  coffee,  and  tropical  fruits.  In- 
dustries diverse,  with  many  tiendas,  or  small  shops,  in 
Rio  Piedras  town. 

Sabana  Grande,  18  miles  southeast  of  Mayaguez,  on  the 
road  to  Ponce,  has  a  good  reputation  for  healthfulness, 
produces  coffee,  sugar,  tobacco,  and  is  noted  locally  for  its 
woven  articles,  as  palm  mats.  The  town  contains  a  church, 
hospital,  Masonic  temple,  city  hall,  and  jail;  the  district  is 
agricultural,  with  at  least  1,000  farmers,  who  own  the  estates 
they  cultivate.  They  have  donated  a  tract  of  land  to  the 
Government  for  the  establishment  of  a  school  of  agriculture, 
and  in  other  ways  shown  their  progressiveness.  Few  attrac- 
tions here  for  the  general  traveller. 

Salinas,  the  Salt  Pits,  is  so  called  from  deposits  of  salt  in 
this  district,  which  is  situated  12  miles  from  Guayama,  on 
the  southern  coast.  Besides  this  industry,  the  people  carry 
on  cattle  raising  and  sugar-cane  culture.  Total  population, 
6,000;  five  public  schools  in  the  district,  of  which  one  is  a 
kindergarten. 

San  German,  a  city  of  about  8,000  inhabitants,  with  some 
30,000  in  its  jurisdiction,  lies  southeast  from  Mayaguez, 
where  the  original  settlement  was  founded  in  151 1.  It  is 
situated  on  a  long,  uneven  hill,  at  the  foot  of  which  lies  a 
beautiful  valley  watered  by  two  rivers,  which  impresses  one 
as  a  vast  garden,  filled  with  orange,  lemon,  tamarind,  and 
other  tropical  trees.  It  has  two  market-places,  a  hospital, 
seminary,  fine  schools,  a  theatre,  casino,  town  hall,  ancient 
church,  and  a  large  plaza  ornamented  with  tropical  plants. 
It  is  now  a  station  on  the  railroad,  lying  directly  west  of 
Ponce. 

Santa  Isabel  lies  directly  south  of  Coamo,  on  the  river  of 
that  name,  the  water  of  which  is  diverted  for  the  irrigation 
of  its  rich  soil,  producing  large  crops  of  tobacco,  sugar-cane, 
and  fruits.  With  22,000  acres  in  the  district,  a  population  of 
some  5,000  is  supported  here.  The  town  has  a  fine  plaza, 
a  church  noted  for  its  beauty,  and  supports  four  public 
schools. 

San  Juan,  capital  of  Porto  Rico,  and  the  only  fortified  city 
on  the  island,  guards  an  inlet  of  the  northern  coast  about 


*^fe  kutj) 


X 


PORTO  RICO  301 

one-third  the  distance,  or  35  miles,  from  the  eastern  to  the 
western  cape.  The  width  of  its  harbour's  navigable  channel, 
at  its  mouth,  is  about  400  yards,  and  in  smooth  weather 
ships  drawing  five  fathoms  can  enter  with  safety  and  run  in 
to  the  wharves.  Recent  dredgings  have  improved  the  nat- 
ural channel  since  the  American  occupation  of  the  island, 
and  here  will  be  established  a  naval  and  outfitting  station 
second  to  none  other  in  the  West  Indies. 

The  natural  advantages  of  San  Juan,  situated  upon  a  small 
island  about  2  miles  in  length  and  half  a  mile  in  breadth, 
which  curves  around  and  protects  its  magnificent  harbour, 
were  early  noted  by  the  Spanish  explorers.  It  owes  its 
origin  to  Ponce  de  Leon,  who  removed  hither  from  Caparra, 
the  first  settlement,  and  began  a  fortification,  as  well  as  the 
castle  in  which  he  later  resided.  The  islet  is  connected  with 
the  mainland  by  two  bridges  and  a  causeway  defended  by 
small  forts ;  and  lying  between  its  fine  harbour  and  a  chain 
of  lagoons  on  one  side,  with  the  ocean  on  the  other,  its 
position,  as  has  been  repeatedly  proved,  is  almost  im- 
pregnable. 

The  northwest  end  of  the  islet,  which  is  bluff,  even  precipi- 
tous, is  crowned  by  the  far-famed  Morro,  the  initial  fortifi- 
cation, which  was  begun  soon  after  the  place  was  first 
found,  but  not  completed  until  1584.  In  general  shape 
Castle  jMorro  is  an  obtuse  angle,  with  three  tiers  of  batteries 
facing  the  sea.  It  was  the  citadel,  and  a  small  military 
town  in  itself,  with  chapel,  bakehouse,  great  water-tanks, 
warehouses,  officers'  quarters,  barracks,  bombproofs,  and 
dungeons  near  and  under  the  sea.  As  in  Havana,  here  stands 
the  faro,  or  lighthouse,  with  a  first-class  lantern,  170  feet 
above  sea  level.  This  old  citadel  is  but  the  beginning  of  the 
wall  of  circumvallation.  completely  enclosing  the  city  w'ithin 
a  line  of  connected  bastions,  deep  moats,  guarded  gates, 
crenelated  battlements  with  projecting  sentry-boxes — in  fact, 
all  the  defences  of  a  walled  city  of  mediaeval  times.* 

On  the  Atlantic  shore,  against  the  cliffs  of  which  the  heavy 
surges  continuously  roll,  a  massive  wall  connects  the  Morro 
with    Castle    Cristobal,    which    faces    oceanward.    and    also 

*'rhis  description  of  San  Juan,  etc.,  i.s  from  the  author's  Puert.^  Rico 
and  Its  Resources. 


302  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST  INDIES 

guards  the  mainland  approaches.  This  castle  is  entered  by 
a  ramp,  on  the  highest  part  of  the  hill,  to  the  inequalities 
of  which  the  fortification  is  accommodated.  It  can  con- 
centrate its  fire  in  any  direction,  controlling  the  approaches 
to  the  city  and  the  inner  harbour  by  the  Caballero  Fort, 
mounting  twenty-two  large  guns  in  former  times.  Stretch- 
ing thus  from  the  harbour  to  the  ocean  front,  San  Cristobal 
dominated  the  inland  approaches  with  two  tiers  of  batteries, 
behind  walls  in  great  part  hewn  from  solid  rock.  These 
fortifications  as  we  find  them  now  were  planned  early  in 
the  seventeenth  century,  yet  San  Cristobal  in  its  entirety  was 
not  finished  until  1771.  Still,  with  its  outworks  resting  on 
the  highest  part  of  the  glacis,  and  called  Fort  Abanico  (on 
account  of  its  fan  shape),  its  deep  moats  and  modern  bat- 
teries, San  Cristobal  in  1898  would  have  been  a  difficult 
fort  to  capture,  had  our  soldiers  been  compelled  to 
storm  it. 

Examining  the  harbour  walls  in  detail,  beginning  at  the 
southern  projection  of  San  Cristobal,  we  find  an  interrupted 
front  of  bastions,  commencing  with  those  of  San  Pedro  and 
Santiago,  the  curtain  of  which  is  pierced  by  the  Espana 
gate.  Next  is  the  bulwark  of  San  Justo,  and  a  gate,  which 
forms  an  arch  beneath  the  curtain,  succeeded  by  the  semi- 
bastion  of  same  name,  the  bastion  of  La  Palma,  the  platform 
of  La  Concepcion,  around  to  the  semi-bastion  and  fortaleaa 
of  Sta.  Catalina  (built  about  1640),  which  supports  the 
captain-general's  residence.  Between  the  fortaleza  and  the 
semi-bastion  of  San  Augustine,  running  northwest,  occurs 
the  gate  of  San  Juan,  and  then  follow^s  the  platform  of  Santa 
Elena.  The  San  Juan  gateway  gives  access  to  the  glacis 
of  San  Felipe  del  Morro,  which  lies  between  the  captain- 
general's  palace  and  the  citadel. 

In  addition  to  the  great  stone  walls  enclosing  the  city,  some 
of  which  are  nearly  100  feet  high,  there  are  the  outlying  forts 
of  San  Antonio  and  San  Geroninio,  which  guard  the  inland 
bridges ;  and  on  an  islet  in  the  harbour  is  the  small  but 
strong  fort  of  Cannelo,  between  which  and  the  Morro,  less 
than  a  thousand  yards  distant,  all  large  ships  have  to  pass 
to  make  this  port.  In  former  wars  a  chain  was  stretched 
between    castle    and    islet,    and    after    the    bombardment    of 


PORTO  RICO  303 

San  Juan  by  the  American  fleet  (Alay  12,  1898),  a  ship  was 
Slink  in  the  channel  and  the  harbour  mined.  This  wreck 
was  found  to  block  the  harbour  very  effectually  by  the  first 
United  States  cruiser,  the  Nezv  Orleans,  which  arrived  at 
San  Juan  about  mid-August,  1898.  Sampson's  bombardment 
did  small  damage,  considering  the  vast  weight  of  metal  that 
was  hurled  at  and  into  San  Juan,  so  that  the  residents  of 
the  city  are  wont  to  speak  of  it  with  derision. 

Saji  Juan  Inside  the  Walls.  This  intramural  city  is  the 
oldest  and  quaintest  possession  of  the  United  States  in  the 
New  World,  having  been  founded  early  in  the  sixteenth 
century,  ten  years  after  the  city  of  Santo  Domingo,  ante- 
dating Havana  six  or  seven  years,  St.  Augustine,  in  Florida, 
more  than  fifty  years,  and  Santiago  de  Cuba  two  or  three 
years.  Entering  a  great  gateway  in  the  walls,  we  find  the 
city  regularly  laid  out,  with  six  streets  running  east  and  west 
and  seven  others  crossing  them  at  right  angles.  There  are 
two  large  plazas  and  several  smaller  squares,  called  plazuelas, 
which  are  the  favourite  places  for  promenades  and  recreation. 
In  the  Plaza  Colon  stands  an  imposing  marble  and  granite 
monument  of  Columbus,  after  whom  the  square  was  named, 
and  in  the  Plaza  San  Jose  is  a  bronze  statue  of  Ponce  de 
Leon,  these  men.  respectively,  discoverer  and  coloniser  of 
the  island.  The  statue  of  Ponce:  was  cast  from  cannon 
captured  from  the  English  in  1797,  and  is  of  natural  size, 
representing  the  conquistador  on  foot  leading  his  followers 
to  the  charge.  His  remains,  by  the  way,  were  long  pre- 
served in  the  church  of  Santo  Domingo,  a  leaden  casket 
containing  them,  with  an  inscription  in  Spanish  relating 
that  "here  rests  the  first  Adelantado  of  Florida,  first  Con- 
quistador and  Governor  of  this  island  of  San  Juan." 

The  houses  are  mainly  of  massive  construction,  Oriental- 
Spanish  in  aspect,  with  flat  roofs  and  jutting  balconies, 
grilled  windows  without  glass,  open  patios  in  the  centre, 
and,  until  the  coming  of  the  Americans,  had  few  sanitary 
conveniences.  There  was  a  howl  of  woeful  protest  when  the 
conquerors  compelled  the  owners  of  houses  to  install  sanitary 
arrangements  where  none  had  ever  been  before,  and  to 
connect  with  the  sewers,  which  were  constructed  in  streets 
that  had  previously  served  as  open   drains.     But   the  work 


304  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST  INDIES 

has  been  done,  and  San  Juan,  formerly  liable  to  serve  as  a 
plague-centre  for  the  breeding  of  tropical  diseases,  is  now 
one  of  the  most  cleanly  of  cities.  To  add  to  the  danger 
from  defective  drainage,  San  Juan  had  what  was  virtually, 
an  intramural  cemetery,  by  the  seaside,  just  beyond  the 
Morro  glacis,  where  the  graves  were  rented  for  terms  of 
years,  the  tenants  of  which,  when  their  terms  had  expired, 
were  ejected  and  their  bones  pitched  into  a  corner  of  the 
graveyard  wall.  This  cemetery  still  exists,  with  marble 
monuments  within  it,  and  long  rows  of  stone  cells  against  the 
fortress  walls,  where  the  bodies  of  the  rich  are  pigeon-holed, 
after  a  form  of  sepulture  used  in  Latin  countries. 

Trapezoidal  in  shape,  San  Juan  rises  amphitheatre-like  from 
its  harbour,  completely  enclosed  within  walls  from  50  to  100 
feet  in  height,  in  -general  appearance  somewhat  resembling 
Algiers,  with  its  gaily  coloured  houses,  airy  niiradores,  and 
castellated  battlements ;  though  not  so  imposing  as  that 
"diamond  in  an  emerald  setting,"  nor  quite  so  picturesque. 
The  buildings  are  mainly  of  mamposteria,  with  plain  fronts, 
though  sometimes  with  Tuscan  cornices,  and  iron  balconies. 
Of  the  thousand  and  more  houses  within  the  walls,  not  more 
than  half  are  two  stories  in  height,  but  few  are  three,  and 
all,  of  course,  are  chimneyless.  The  streets  are  flagged, 
and  until  recently  were  filthy,  for  water  was  scant;  but  now 
there  is  a  water  supply  piped  into  the  city  from  the  Rio 
Piedras,  where  the  reservoirs  and  pumping  engines  are 
located. 

The  former  palace  of  the  captain-general,  now  the  execu- 
tive mansion  and  governmental  headquarters,  is  a  most  im- 
posing edifice,  taken  together  with  the  battlemented  platform 
on  which  it  stands,  and  should  be  the  first  objective  of  one's 
visit.  Near  it  stands  the  Casa  Blanca,  or  White  House, 
ancient  castle  of  San  Juan's  founder,  Ponce  de  Leon,  the 
oldest  and  most  attractive  structure  here,  with  its  walled-in 
garden  and  surrounding  palms.  Other  fine  buildings  are 
the  city  hall,  the  archiepiscopal  palace,  theatre,  Jesuit  col- 
lege, military  hospital,  the  cathedral,  with  its  spacious  naves 
and  altar  of  exquisite  marbles;  the  church  of  Santo  Domingo, 
plain  and  severe;  the  Providencia,  which  contains  the  special 
patroness  of  Porto  Rico,  Nucstra  Scnora  dc  los  Remedios, 


PORTO  RICO  305 

with  a  cloak  and  jewels  valued  at  $35,000.  The  largest 
structure  here,  aside  from  the  forts,  is  the  Cuartel  de  la 
Ballaja,  barracks  built  for  Spanish  troops,  three  stories  in 
height,  and  covering,  with  its  patio,  a  space  of  77,700  square 
meters.  It  overlooks  the  great  parade  ground  on  the  glacis, 
and  was  somewhat  damaged  by  shells  in  the  bombardment, 
as  also  was  the  church  of  Santo  Domingo. 

There  are  fifteen  or  twenty  places  of  worship  in  San  Juan : 
eight  Catholic  churches,  the  cathedral,  and  seven  chapels; 
three  Methodist,  and  one  each  Presbyterian,  Episcopal,  and 
Lutheran  missions ;  a  well-established  Young  Men's  Chris- 
tian Association  ;  several  American  and  native  clubs,  a  casino, 
library  and  a  spacious  market-place  on  the  hill,  which  all 
should  visit,  for  types  of  the  paisatios,  or  countrymen,  as 
well  as  for  preserves,  fruits,  and  articles  of  native  work- 
manship. The  city  is  provided  with  several  public,  schools, 
a  high,  a  night,  and  an  art  school,  three  hospitals  and  five 
asylums  for  the  poor.  The  stores  are  numerous  and  well 
stocked,  formerly  with  European  goods,  but  latterly  more 
with  American.  For  fans,  curios,  etc.,  go  to  the  stores 
around  the  plaza,  where  the  American  shops  are  well  sup- 
plied,  as  well   as  the  native  and   Spanish. 

Outside  the  walls  are  several  suburbs,  the  principal  ones 
being  known  as  the  Marina  and  Puerta  de  Tierra,  with  per- 
haps 7,000  of  San  Juan's  total  of  32,000  between  them.  The 
Marina  snuggles  up  against  the  great  wall^  with  an  overflow 
of  gardens  and  small  parks  filled  with  choice  plants,  dotted 
with  kiosks  and  drinking  booths,  and  with  a  broad  avenue 
running  toward  the  mainland.  Here  are  the  wharves,  the 
customs  and  warehouses,  arsenal,  the  railroad  stations,  etc., 
and  formerly  there  stood  here  an  uncouth  structure  of  stone 
and  corrugated  iron,  which  was  the  cockpit.  Since  bull  and 
cock  fighting  ha>ve  been  prohibited,  the  Puertoriqucnos  have 
been  compelled  to  pursue  'their  delightsome  sports  clandes- 
tinely; but  in  the  Spanish  times  hardly  a  sidewalk  of  the 
Marina  that  did  not  show  at  least  a  dozen  game  birds  staked 
out  for  an  airing.  It  is  an  easy  descent  from  the  city  proper 
to  the  Marina,  and  every  afternoon  the  walks  and  booths 
are  occupied  by  people  on  recreation  bent.  -\  more  pleasur- 
able place,  hpwever,  in  the  writer's  estimation,  is  the  little 


3o6  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST  INDIES 

suburb  of  Santurce,  on  the  road  leading  out  to  the  main 
island.  Here  good  Americans  find  delights  in  nature's  woo- 
ing; here  a  fine  club  is  located,  and  recently  a  hotel  has 
been  established,  Las  Palmas,  The  Palms,  where  the  rooms 
and  cuisine  are  a  glad  surprise  to  visitors  accustomed  to 
such  hostelries  as  the  island  has  hitherto  supplied,  which 
were  rather  to  be  shunned  than  sought.  Santurce  is  about 
twenty  minutes'   ride  from  the   city. 

In  the  city  there  is  the  "Colonial"  Hotel,  situated  on  the 
Plaza,  and  conducted  on  the  "American"  plan,  at  $2.50  per 
day.  The  largest  of  its  kind  is  the  Inglaterra,  which  is 
Spanish  in  every  particular.     Rates,  $2.50  to  $3  per  day. 

As  with  many  the  putting  up  at  a  foreign  hotel  is  in  the 
nature  of  a  dubious  experiment,  the  Porto  Rico  Steamship 
Company  has  provided  excursions  around  the  island  in  which 
one  may  tarry  on  board  ship,  or  make  it  headquarters  while 
in  port  at  a  certain  fixed  rate  per  diem ;  and  this  arrange- 
ment has  proved  extremely  satisfactory  to  all  concerned. 

San  Sebastian,  with  1,700  people  in  the  town  and  16,000  in 
the  jurisdiction,  is  situated  in  the  interior,  14  miles  south- 
west of  Aguadilla.  A  good  road  connects  it  with  Moca  and 
Aguadilla,  another  is  projected  to  Lares,  farther  inland,  and 
a  horse  trail  leads  to  Anasco.  It  is  off  the  main  line  of 
travel,  but  to  some  is  all  the  more  interesting  for  that,  espe- 
cially as  there  are  several  natural  curiosities  in  the  district : 
at  Giiajataca  and  Enea  two  large  caves  and  a  fine  waterfall, 
and  at  Posa  some  warm  springs.  The  district  is  well  watered 
by  the  Culebrinas  River.  Seven  public  schools  in  town,  and 
a  church.  The  products  are  sugar-cane,  coffee,  fruits,  and 
vegetables. 

Santurce,  a  suburb  of  San  Juan,  is  situated  on  the  shore, 
about  3  miles  distant.  It  contains  about  4,000  inhabitants, 
with  a  constantly  growing  population. 

Toa  Alta,  15  miles  from  San  Juan,  and  as  many  more 
directly  inland  from  the  northern  coast,  is  a  hill  town,  with 
delightful  climate,  containing  about  1,000  inhabitants,  with 
9,000  in  the  district.  A  good  road  leads  to  Bayamon,  another 
to  the  coast,  crossing  the  line  of  the  American  Railroad  at 
Dorado.  Three  of  its  5  public  schools  are  in  town  and 
2  in  the  country  district.     The  people  are  chiefly  occupied 


PORTO  RICO  307 

in  the  raising  of  cattle,  and  cultivation  of  sugar-cane,  coffee, 
and  tobacco.     Several  sugar-mills  in  the  neighbourhood. 

Toa  Baja,  one  of  the  oldest  settlements  in  the  island,  is 
near  coast  and  railroad,  10  miles  west  of  San  Juan,  on  the 
highway  between  the  Capital  and  Arecibo.  Its  excellent 
situation,  in  the  fertile  valley  of  the  La  Plata  River,  makes 
it  a  desirable  place  of  residence.  Sugar-cane  grows  here 
luxuriantly,  also  tobacco,  while  cattle-raising  and  dairy-farm- 
ing are  pursued  by  the  people,  who  find  a  market  for  milk 
and  beef  at  San  Juan.  The  jurisdiction  contains  about 
4,000  inhabitants.  The  town  has  a  church,  plaza,  and  a  few 
fine  buildings,  but  its  chief  attraction  consists  in  the  climate, 
which  is  cool  and  salubrious. 

Tnijillo  Alto,  a  town  of  some  2,000  inhabitants,  with 
double  that  number  in  the  jurisdiction,  lies  15  miles  south- 
west of  San  Juan,  in  the  valley  of  the  Rio  Grande.  The 
nearest  railroad  station  is  at  Rio  Picdras,  a  little  more  than 
7  miles  distant. 

Utiiado,  an  interior  settlement,  about  midway  between 
Arecibo  on  the  north  coast  and  Ponce  on  the  south,  con- 
tains within  its  jurisdiction  142  square  miles  of  territory, 
traversed  by  two  macadamised  roads.  It  is  14  miles  from 
Arecibo,  and  in  a  direct  line  56  from  the  Capital.  The 
general  situation,  being  at  an  altitude  of  1.500  feet  above  the 
sea,  is  excellent,  the  climate  cool  and  salubrious.  The  pop- 
ulation numbers  about  44,000,  scattered  over  the  jurisdiction. 
The  central  settlement  has  a  church,  24  public  schools, 
II  of  which  are  rural,  a  municipal  hospital,  and  an 
aqueduct.  This  is  a  coffee  district  chiefly,  for  the  hulling 
and  preparation  of  which  for  market  there  is  a  large  mill 
in  the  town ;  but  considerable  tobacco  is  raised  and  manu- 
factured into  cigars.  In  this  isolated  district  are  several  fine 
cascades,  the  Saltos  dc  Moroncs,  Saltillos,  and  Canaliaos. 
In  the  barrio  of  Caguana  is  a  natural  formation  called  the 
"Cavern  of  the  Dead,"  on  account  of  numerous  Indian 
skeletons  found  there  years  ago.  Utuado  has  a  post-office 
and  a  telegraph  station.     No  hotel. 

J'cga  Alia,  22  miks  southwest  of  San  Juan,  is  the  chief 
town  of  a  jurisdiction  containing  about  6000  inhabitants, 
itself    1,000.     It   has   a   church,    a   city   hall,   and   2   public 


3o8  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST  INDIES 

schools.  It  is  connected  with  Bayamon  by  road.  The  climate 
is  good ;  the  products  are  coffee,  sugar-cane,  tobacco,  fruits, 
and  many  cattle  are  raised  here.  Nearest  railroad  station  at 
Vega  Baja,  13  miles,  over  a  good  road. 

Vega  Baja,  on  the  railroad,  23^/^  miles  west  of  San  Juan, 
is  a  village  of  about  2.500,  in  a  jurisdiction  of  10,000.  It 
has  10  public  schools,  in  one  of  which  English  is  taught; 
a  cigar  factory,  3  markets,  one  owned  by  the  town,  etc. 
The  church  here,  which  faces  the  plaza,  has  2  towers,  one 
containing  a  bell  and  the  other  the  public  clock,  and  is 
considered  one  of  the  finest  in  the  island.  Opposite  it  stands 
the  town  hall,  built  of  rubble  masonry.  The  aspect  of  town 
and  plaza  is  very  agreeable.  There  are  3  sugar-mills  here, 
sugar-cane,  tobacco  and  coffee  being  the  chief  crops.  The 
Cibuco  River  flows  through  the  territory,  and  discharges 
into  the  ocean,  which  bounds  the  jurisdiction  on  the  north. 

Vieques,  Island  of.  Though  out  of  the  line  of  ordinary 
travel,  the  island  of  Vieques,  which  lies  13  miles  east  pf 
Humacao,  is  an  important  province,  being  21  miles  long 
by  6  miles  wide,  and  is  very  v/ell  worth  a  visit.  Its  interior 
is  mountainous,  with  great  timber  forests,  but  it  has  many 
fertile  valleys  in  which  cane,  coffee,  and  tropical  fruits  are 
grown  ;  the  climate  is  salubrious ;  the  cattle  raised  here  are 
shipped  to  various  islands.  The  island  supports  a  popula- 
tion of  about  6,000,  the  town  and  populous  centre  being 
Isabel  Segunda,  on  the  north  coast  of  the  island.  Its  port 
is  unsafe  when  the  "northers"  blow,  at  which  time  vessels 
run  to  one  of  the  south  ports,  the  best  being  Punta  Arenas. 

Communication  with  Vieques  is  maintained  by  sailing 
vessels  only.  The  town  of  Isabel  contains  a  church,  a  munici- 
pal hospital,  9  public  schools,  but  no  hotel.  The  municipal 
well,  which  is  said  to  be  never  failing,  furnishes  the  city 
with  water,   though  the  main  dependence  is  upon  cisterns. 

Yahucoa,  a  town  with  an  Indian  name,  on  the  southeast 
coast,  beautifully  situated,  but  isolated,  10  miles  southwest 
of  Humacao.  It  stands  upon  a  hill  overlooking  a  beautiful 
valley,  has  a  healthful  climate,  but  is  supplied  with  water 
from  streams  only.  The  town  has  4  public  schools,' with 
4  in  the  rural  districts,  a  church,  hospital,  etc.  Number 
of  inhabitants  in  town,  1,800;  in  jurisdiction,  14,000. 


PORTO  RICO  309 

Yauco,  on  the  railroad  near  the  south  coast,  16  miles  south- 
cast  of  San  German,  was  founded  in  1756,  and  existed  in 
obscurity  for  nearly  150  years,  until  the  coming  of  the 
Americans,  in  1898,  called  attention  to  the  region  of  which 
it  is  the  chief  settlement.  Town  and  jurisdiction  combined 
have  an  area  of  65.000  acres  and  27,000  population.  The 
coffee  and  tobacco  raised  here  have  a  reputation,  9,000  acres 
of  the  former  and  3,000  of  the  latter  being  under  cultivation. 
The  town  lies  at  an  elevation  of  150  feet  above  the  sea,  with 
a  fine  climate  and  good  running  water,  under  a  high  range 
of  hills.  It  is  connected  by  a  cart  road  with  the  port  of 
Guanica,  where  there  is  a  playa,  or  shore  settlement  of  about 
1,000  people.  This  port  was  the  initial  point  in  the  strategic 
plans  of  General  Miles  in  his  occupation  of  the  island.  As 
it  has  a  '"steep-to"  shore,  with  a  great  depth  of  water,  and 
was  unguarded  by  mines  or  fortifications,  it  was,  of  all  the 
island  ports,  best  suited  for  his  purpose. 

At  the  port  of  Guanica  vessels  drawing  20  feet  of  water 
may  enter  with  safety.  The  entrance  is  about  100  yards 
wide,  to  a  spacious  basin,  completely  landlocked,  where 
large  ships  can  lie  close  to  the  shore.  The  entrance  is  com- 
manded by  two  small  hills  on  either  side,  which,  if  fortified, 
could  defy  a  squadron  to  force  it. 

Yauco  w  as  for  a  long  time,  until  the  terminals  of  the 
Island  Belt  Line  were  united,  the  terminal  station  of  the 
Ponce  and  Yauco  Railroad ;  but  now  has  continuous  com- 
munication \\ith  both  Ponce  and  San  Juan.  There  are 
22  public  schools  in  the  district,  a  hospital,  Catholic  church, 
and  a  Protestant  mission.  The  soil  of  the  valleys  is  fertile, 
and  the  hills  abound  in  scattered  forests  of  cabinet  woods. 

Ascent  of  Yunque  Mountain.  It  is  from  Luquillo,  gen- 
erally, that  the  ascent  of  the  great  central  peak,  Yunque, 
is  attempted.  This  ascent  is  not  often  made,  but  there  may 
be  a  few  to  whom  it  would  be  interesting,  hence  the  brief 
description,  kindly  contributed  by  Air.  Warren  H.  Manning, 
landscape  designer,  of  Boston,  Mass.,  will  be  appreciated. 
"...  We  started  out  in  the  afternoon,  going  up  one  of  the 
spurs  from  the  village  until  we  came  to  a  plantation  house 
owned  by  a  Spanish  family.  They  of  course  advised  us  to  wait 
till  'mafiana,'  but  I  insisted  on  going  on,  so  they  finally  said 


310  A  GUIDE  TO   THE   WEST   INDIES 

that  we  could  go  to  a  big  overhanging  stone  part  way  up 
the  mountain  before  sunset,  camp  there  for  the  night,  find 
our  way  to  the  summit  the  next  forenoon,  and  back  again 
in  the  afternoon.  The  road  up  to  the  plantation  house  was 
the  ordmary  country  road  of  the  island,  fairly  passable  for 
vehicles.  From  this  point  on  it  passes  through  open  fields, 
following  the  ridge,  by  one  or  two  huts  occupied  by  half- 
breeds,  then  into  the  heavy  woods,  on  rather  a  steep  but  not 
troublesome  grade.  The  trail  in  places  v^as  little  more 
than  a  water-course  gullied  out  of  the  clay,  quite  slippery 
and  steep,  but  not  difficult. 
"From  the  heavy  woods  we  passed  into  a  zone  of  scattered 
trees  with  undergrowth  of  palms,  with  a  rather  steep  climb 
for  about  half  a  mile.  In  this  growth  was  a  big  stone  'camp,' 
under  which  we  passed  a  dreary  night,  with  many  bird 
and  insect  notes  to  keep  us  awake.  In  the  morning  we  soon 
came  to  an  open  place  on  a  shoulder  of  the  mountain,  cov- 
ered with  patches  of  shrubs,  between  which  were  glades, 
the  shrubs  being  high  enough  to  prevent  one  from  seeing 
out,  so  that  great  difficulty  was  experienced  in  tracing  the 
trail.  After  passing  across  this  comparatively  easy  grade 
we  came  again  to  thick  woods,  with  the  trail  in  many  places 
quite  steep,  until  the  base  of  the  mountain  cone  was  reached. 
The  first  part  of  this  climb  onward  was  very  steep,  requiring 
almost  constant  use  of  hand-poles;  half  way  up  the  ascent 
was  gradual.  The  apex  of  the  cone  was  comparatively  small 
in  area,  with  a  clear  outlook  into  the  mountain  tops  to 
the  west,  but  with  thickets  of  shrubs  to  the  east.  Rain  fell 
nearly  all  the  time  during  the  day.  the  clouds  only  breaking 
away  for  a  moment  now  and  then,  sufficient  to  give  a  glimpse 
of  Culebra  and  Vieques,  with  fleeting  visions  of  the  moun- 
tainous interior  of  the  main  island.  I  was  told  that  the 
mountain  is  almost  invariably  capped  by  clouds,  and  that  it 
is  very  seldom  that  one  can  obtain  a  view  from  its  summit ; 
but  my  interest  in  the  flora  of  this  region  and  the  pleasure 
of  reaching  the  peak  were  sufficient  to  justify  me  in  taking 
the  trouble  I  did.  One  of  the  most  interesting  conditions 
that  grew  out  of  the  constant  moisture  on  the  mountain 
side  was  that  practically  all  the  stems  and  leaves  were  cov- 
ered with  a  growth  of  moss,  very  few  being  free  from  it." 


PORTO  RICO  311 

Steamship  Connections.  With  New  York  and  European 
Ports.  Distance:  New  York,  1,400  miles.  New  York  and 
Porto  Rico  Steamship  Company,  weekly  sailings,  leaving 
New  York  on  Saturdays,  reaching  San  Juan  in  four  to  five 
days.  Rates:  First-class.  $50-$55 :  return,  double  less  10%. 
Second-class,  $30-$35 ;  return,  double  less  10%.  Time  to 
Ponce  and  ^^layaguez.  about  six  days. 

"Special  cruises"  to  and  around  Porto  Rico,  living  on  board 
ship  and  making  it  headquarters.  $i40-$i50.  all  expenses. 

The  "Red  D"  Line.  New  York.  Porto  Rico  and  Venezuelan 
ports,  bi-weekly  sailings.  Time,  four  to  five  days,  direct. 
Rates,  as  above. 

JJ'ifh  New  Orleans;  distance.  1,460  miles.  New  York  and 
Porto  Rico  Line,  monthly  sailings.  Rates  :  Same  as  to  and 
from  New  York.  New  Orleans  excursion  tickets  valid  over 
New  York  service  returning. 

With  Cuba:  Herrera  Line,  via  Santo  Domingo,  north  coast, 
monthly  sailings  to  and  from  Porto  Rico  and  Cuba. 

JVith  Spain,  via  Cuba  and  direct,  Herrera  Line  and  Spanish 
steamers.  With  France,  England.  Germany,  by  occasional 
steamers  to  respective  countries ;  though  best  and  most  fre- 
quent service  is  via  New  York. 

Historical.  Discovered  by  Christopher  Columbus,  on  his 

second   voyage   to   the  West   Indies,    who   first   landed   here 

at  Aguada,  near  the  northwest  point  of  the  island. 

1493         He  was   then  on  his  way  to   Santo   Domingo,  and 

did  not  revisit  the  island,  which  he  named  San  Juan 

Bautista  de  Puerto  Rico.     Its  native  name  was  Boriquen. 

Juan  Ponce  de  Leon.  Spanish  conquistador,  who  was  then 
governor  of  eastern  Santo  Domingo,  went  over  to  look  at 
the  island,  the  hills  of  which  he  could  see  from 
1508  his  province,  and  was  so  impressed  by  its  beauty 
and  resources,  as  well  as  by  the  reception  accorded 
him  by  Agueynaba,  the  native  cacique,  that  he  made  a  settle- 
ment the  next  year  on  the  north  coast.  This  he  called 
Caparra,  and  it  lies  near  the  present  capital.  San  Juan,  for 
which  it  was  abandoned  two  years  later. 

This  year,  the  first  in  which  negro  slaves  were  introduced 
into  Porto  Rico,  Ponce  de  Leon  made  his  famous  voyage 
through  the  Bahamas,   which  resulted  in  the  discovery  of 


3T2  A  GUIDE  TO  THE   WEST   INDIES 

Florida.  He  was  in  search  of  the  fabled  "Fountain 
1512  of  Youth,"  and,  being  unsuccessful,  made  another 
voyage  in  1521,  when  he  was  wounded  by  an  Indian 
arrow,  and  died  in  Havana.  His  remains  were  brought  back 
to  San  Juan,  where  they  are  preserved  to-day,  and  where  also 
may  be  seen  the  castle  he  built,  called  the  Casa  Blanca,  and 
a  modern  monument  erected  to  his  memory. 

Porto  Rico  was  greatly  harassed  by  pirates  and  privateers 
during  the  sixteenth  century,  beginning  as  early  as  1516. 
In  1529  French  privateers  sacked  and  burned  the 
1516-  town  of  San  German,  and  the  next  year  cannibal 
1586  Caribs  carried  off  the  governor,  whom  they  prob- 
ably devoured.  In  1565  Sir  John  Hawkins  arrived 
at  the  island  on  a  privateering  voyage,  and  in  1572  Sir  Francis 
Drake,  another  "'royal  pirate"  looking  for  spoils,  paid  Porto 
Rico  a  visit.  Neither  of  these  worthies  did  great  harm 
at  the  time;  but  in  1595.  learning  that  a  galleon  with  vast 
treasure  was  refitting  at  San  Juan,  they  sailed  in  company 
for  Porto  Rico.  It  was  a  fatal  voyage  for  both,  as  Sir  John 
Hawkins  died  when  off  the  eastern  end  of  the  island,  and 
Sir  Francis  Drake,  after  engaging  with  the  castle  and  forts 
at  San  Juan  (in  which  fight  he  lost  heavily),  sailed  for  the 
Spanish  Main,  where  he  died  off  Porto  Bello  and  was  buried 
at  sea.  Treasure  to  the  amount  of  $4,000,000  was  taken 
from  the  galleons  in  harbour  and  buried  ashore  by  the  Span- 
iards, so  that  Sir  Francis  left  behind  him  more  spoils  than 
he  had  taken  in  the  great  Armada,  which  he  had  helped 
destroy  but  a  few  years  before. 
Seventeenth  Century.  The  island  participated  in  the  dis- 
asters attending  all  the  Spanish  possessions  in  the  West 
Indies  during  the  seventeenth  century,  for  the  French,  Dutch, 
and  English  buccaneers  were  very  troublesome  all  along 
the  coast.  An  expedition  sailed  from  San  Juan  in  1630,  com- 
manded by  Don  Federico  Toledo,  which  drove  the  buc- 
caneers from  their  stronghold  in  St.  Kitts  and  broke  them 
up  for  a  while ;  but  they  reassembled  on  the  island  of 
Tortuga,  off  the  north  coast  of  Haiti,  where  they  became 
stronger  than  ever.  For  nearly  seventy  years  they  preyed 
upon  Spanish  commerce  in  the  Caribbean  Sea,  and  occasion- 
ally made  descents  upon  their  settlements.     In  1698  an  Eng- 


PORTO  RICO  313 

lish  squadron  of  twenty-two  ships  attacked  San  Juan,  which 
was  then  protected  by  its  Murro  and  strong  forts,  and  would 
probably  have  taken  it  had  not  a  hurricane  dispersed  the 
fleet,  sinking  many  vessels  and  drowning  their  crews.  For 
this  deliverance  the  Porto  Ricans  annually  offered  thanks  on 
a  special  feast  day,  and  afterward  considered  themselves  as 
divinely  protected. 

A  combined  Dutch  and  English  squadron  attacked  San 
Juan,  but  was  driven  off  by  a  hurricane,  though  a  Spanish 
fleet,  which  had  been  gathered  to  repel  the  enemy, 
1702  was  totally  destroyed.  Then  the  islanders  reluc- 
tantly admitted  that  the  disaster  of  four  years  pre- 
vious, which  operated  solely  against  the  foreigners,  might 
not  have  been  a  Providential  visitation  after  all. 

The  eighteenth  century  was  peaceful  in  the  main,  the  buc- 
caneers having  been  suppressed ;  but  tow-ard  its  close  an  event 
occurred  which  had  a  bearing  upon  Porto  Rico.  In  1797, 
the  French  and  Spanish  having  formed  an  alliance  against 
England,  the  British  successfully  operated  against  them 
through  their  West  Indian  colonies,  and  in  1797  an  attack 
was  made  upon  Trinidad,  then  a  Spanish  possession.  A 
squadron  under  Sir  Ralph  Abercromby  assembled  in  front 
of  Port-of-Spain,  which  surrendered,  carrying  with  it  the 
island,  on  the  condition  that  all  Spaniards  desiring  it  should 
be  repatriated.  Abercromby's  attack  upon  Porto  Rico  was 
not  so  fortunate.  That  being  the  nearest  Spanish  island  of 
importance  to  Trinidad,  he  went  there  forthwith,  and  made 
several  attempts  to  capture  San  Juan.  After  two  weeks  of 
desultory  bombardment  and  hand-to-hand  encounters  in  the 
streets  the  English  were  compelled  to  leave  without  accom- 
plishing their  object,  with  a  loss  of  230  killed  and  wounded. 
That  bombardment  of  San  Juan  by  Abercromby  in  1798 
was  the  last  it  underwent  until  Admiral  Sampson's  attack 
100  years   later. 

Few  events  of  importance  took  place  in  Porto  Rico  during 

the  nineteenth  century,  and  being  undisturbed  by  agitations 

for  separation  from  the  mother  country,  such  as  were 

1898         rife   in    its    sister   colony   of    Cuba,    it    continued    to 

prosper.      Although    its    aboriginal    population    had 

been  exterminated  early  in  its  history  as  a  colony  of  Spain, 


314  A  GUIDE  TO  THE   WEST   INDIES 

it  had  received  numerous  immigrants  from  Europe,  and  its 
white  inhabitants  were  numerically  superior  to  those  of  any 
other  island  in  the  West  Indies.  It  had  numerous  towns 
and  villages,  and  several  fine  cities,  like  San  Juan,  Ponce, 
and  Mayaguez,  with  imposing  architecture. 

Though  it  had  taken  no  part  in  the  contention  between 
Spain  and  the  United  States,  still  its  sympathies  were,  of 
course,  with  its  "mother  land."  It  was  looked  upon  by  the 
Americans  as  a  possession  not  only  valuable  in  itself,  but  of 
great  importance  as  a  strategic  base  of  operations  against 
Cuba,  after  the  virtual  declaration  of  war,  consequent  upon 
President   McKinley's  ultimatum   to    Spain. 

During  that  prolonged  suspense  occasioned  by  the  unknown 
whereabouts  of  Admiral  Cervera's  fleet,  which  left  the  Cape 
de  Verde  islands  the  last  week  in  April  for  West  Indian 
waters,  an  American  squadron  under  Admiral  Sampson 
cruised  blindly  in  search  of  the  Spaniards,  finally  arriving 
in  the  vicinity  of  San  Juan.  In  the  belief  that  the  enemy 
might  have  put  in  there  to  coal  and  refit,  an  examination  of 
the  harbour  was  undertaken,  eventually  ending  in  the  futile 
bombardment  of  San  Juan's  ancient  Morro  and  forts  on 
May  12,  1898.  No  material  damage  was  done,  however,  and 
the  fleet  sailed  away,  leaving  the  Porto  Ricans  in  possession 
of  their  island. 

After  American  success  in  Cuba  had  been  assured  by  the 
destruction  of  Cervera's  fleet  and  the  capture  of  Santiago, 
General  Nelson  A.  Miles  sailed  for  Porto  Rico  with  about 
4,000  troops,  and,  landing  on  the  south  coast  July  25th,  at 
the  little-known  port  of  Guanica,  soon  had  the  island  at  his 
mercy.  The  enemy  had  expected  him  to  land  on  the  north 
or  northeast  coast  of  the  island ;  but  by  a  succession  of 
strategic  moves  the  American  general  swiftly  advanced  from 
the  south  coast,  taking  the  important  city  of  Ponce  within 
three  days  of  his  arrival  without  the  firing  of  a  gun.  Send- 
ing General  Brooke  to  Arroyo,  on  the  southeast  coast, 
whence  he  was  to  flank  the  Spaniards  by  a  rapid  march 
inland ;  General  Schwan  westward  to  Mayaguez,  which  was 
quickly  taken ;  General  Henry  northwardly  toward  Arecibo, 
and  General  Wilson  northeasterly  along  the  great  inland 
highway   between   Ponce   and    San   Juan,    the    commanding 


Country  Habitation,  Porto  Rico 


PORTO  RICO  315 

general  developed  a  strategic  scheme  that  would  soon  have 
eventuated  in  the  capture  of  the  island.  There  had  been  no 
real  fighting,  and  only  four  skirmishes  (for  the  Spanish 
soldiers  invariably  marched  out  of  a  town  as  the  Americans 
marched  in,  to  the  enthusiastic  z'iz'us  of  the  populace)  when 
news  arrived  which  put  a  stop  to  the  triumphal  prog- 
ress. Brooke  had  accomplished  his  grand  flank  movement, 
and  had  the  mountain  town  of  Cayey  under  his  guns ;  Wil- 
son's men  had  unlimbered  their  guns  upon  the  intrenchments 
at  Aibonito  (having  gained  a  commanding  position  amid  a 
hail  of  shell  and  shrapnel,  from  which  they  could  have  anni- 
hilated the  foe)  when  hostilities  were  ordered  suspended.  A 
peace  protocol  had  been  signed,  and  pending  negotiations 
the  victors  were  to  rest  upon  their  guns.  They  sullenly 
complied,  though  some  of  the  Americans  wept  from  rage 
when  compelled  to  forego  the  fruits  of  a  victory  which  they 
knew  to  be  within  their  grasp. 

The  island  was  conceded  to  the  United  States  by  diplomatic 
negotiation,  but  was  fairly  w^on  by  conquest,  just  the  same. 
Suspension  of  hostilities  dates  from  mid-August,  1898.  when 
(on  the  i6th)  an  American  cruiser  entered  the  harbour  of 
San  Juan  (w^hich  had  been  barred  to  foreign  ships  by  mines 
and  sunken  wrecks),  and  its  commander,  Captain  Folger, 
paid  his  respects  to  Captain-General  Macias  at  the  palace. 
Peace  Commissioners,  appointed  respectively  by  the  Presi- 
dent of  the  United  States  and  the  Crown  of  Spain,  later  con- 
ferred at  San  Juan,  with  the  result  that  the  evacuation  of 
the  island  by  the  Spaniards  was  peacefully  effected,  and  on 
October  18.  1898,  the  American  flag  was  hoisted  over  the 
palace,  the  Morro,  the  forts,  and  public  buildings  every- 
where in  the  island. 

The  first  military  governor  of  Porto  Rico  was  General  J.  R. 
Brooke,  senior  member  of  the  commission  for  the  evacua- 
tion of  the  island.  He  w-as  the  120th  governor  (beginning 
with  Ponce  de  Leon,  appointed  in  1510),  and  was  succeeded 
by  General  Guy  V.  Henry,  who  died  in  1899.  The  third 
and  last  military  governor  was  General  G.  W.  Davis,  who 
prepared  the  way  for  the  first  civil  governor.  C.  H.  Allen, 
inaugurated  ]\Iay  i,  1900,  in  accordance  with  the  "Organic 
Law^"  of  Porto  Rico, 


SAINT  THOMAS  AND  VIRGIN  ISLANDS 

East  of  Porto  Rico,  forming  a  cluster  of  isles  and  islets,  with 
a  few  exceptions  little  visited,  are  the  Virgins.  They  were  so 
called  by  Columbus  in  1493  as  he  swept  past  on  his  way  to 
Santo  Domingo,  and  have  ever  since  retained  the  name.  They 
lie  within  the  parallels  18  and  19  degrees  north  latitude, 
54  and  65  west  longitude,  and  are  tropical  in  character, 
though  most  of  them  far  from  exuberantly  fertile.  Only  one 
of  the  group  is  a  regular  port  of  call  for  large  steamers 
and  has  direct  connection  with  New  York.  This  island  is 
Saint  Thomas,  13  miles  in  length  by  3  in  width  at  its  widest, 
the  only  port  of  which  is  Charlotte  Amalia,  one  of  the  best 
in  the  West  Indies.  It  is  six  days'  distance  from  New 
York  of  ordinary  steaming;  but  from  Newport  News 
(whence  at  one  time  a  line  of  steamers  sailed  for  the 
Caribbees  and  Brazil)  it  is  but  five  days.  But  we  may  say 
six  days,  and  seven  if  the  Bermudas  are  included  .  in  the 
itinerary  from  New  York ;  while  fourteen  days  are  neces- 
sary for  the  voyage  from  Southampton,  England. 
Saint  Thomas  is  one  of  the  best  of  islands  at  which  to  begin 
a  voyage  down  the  chain  to  the  coast  of  South  America, 
though  it  may  not  have  many  attractions  in  itself.  But  it  has 
attractions  to  one  who  admires  contour  and  colour  and  does 
not  expect  too  much  at  the  outset.  The  island  has  long 
been  divested  of  its  forests  and  stands  exposed  in  all  its 
nakedness;  but  it  is  exquisite  just  the  same.  There  is  an 
atmosphere  about  this  old  saint  which  permeates  one's  very 
being,  and  compels  a  liking  for  the  spot.  In  the  first  place, 
St.  Thomas  has,  the  best  of  harbours,  deep  and  landlocked, 
on  three  sides  surrounded  by  hills,  from  which  drift  down 
the  most  fragrant  breezes  in  the  world.  In  the  second  place, 
the  town  of  Charlotte  Amalia,  lying  abreast  this  harbour, 
built  upon  three  or  four  hills,  which  form  a  concentric  inner 
circle  with  the  cuter  ridges,  is  one  of  the  most  picturesque 
to  be  found  in  the  islands.  The  houses  are  mainly  of  stone, 
with  red-tiled  roofs,  some  having  tropical  gardens  attached, 
and  thus  white-walled  houses  and  palms,  bananas,  etc.,  are 


VIRGIN  ISLANDS  317 

interspersed  with  lanes  and  stone  steps  climbing  the  hills 
and  meandering  through  the  gullies.  The  only  level  street 
in  Charlotte  Amalia  runs  east  and  west  into  the  country  on 
either  hand:  east  to  the  Tutu  Estate,  "Benders,"  and  the 
Mangrove  Lagoon  at  Bovoni;  west  past  Xisky,  Mosquito 
Bay,  to  John  Brewer's  Bay,  etc. 

Nearly  all  the  population  lives  in  or  near  Charlotte  Amalia, 
and  this  statement  may  be  verified  by  climbing  to  the  hill 
crest  that  half  encircles  the  town,  whence  one  may  look  over 
the  entire  island  and  see  very  few  habitations  at  all  in  the 
country  district.  But  the  views  outspread  are  grand  and 
far-sweeping,  taking  in  Santa  Cruz  to  the  south,  St.  John 
east,  the  Virgin  Islands  north  and  east,  and  Porto  Rico, 
with  its  outlying  islets,  30  to  40  miles  westward.  The  island 
has  been  Danish  since  1666.  and  Danish  is  the  official  lan- 
guage, but  English  is  the  prevailing  speech.  Reminders  of 
the  early  occupation  are  to  be  found  in  the  remains  of  fortifi- 
cations scattered  about  on  the  ridges  and  in  the  old  red 
fort  commanding  the  town. 

Pirates  and  Buccaneers.  As  the  steamer  enters  the  har- 
bour, and  before  one  lies  the  town,  upon  the  middle  hill 
of  the  trio  will  be  noticed  a  tall  tower,  like  a  truncated 
windmill  deprived  of  its  arms.  Perhaps  it  was  a  windmill 
in  the  olden  time,  and  served  to  grind  sugar-cane  when  the 
island  had  a  fertile  soil ;  but  tradition  tells  us  that  it  was 
long  a  pirate's  stronghold,  and  that  the  redoubtable  "Black- 
beard"  himself — the  pirate  of  the  whiskers  and  seventeen 
wives — held  forth  here  for  a  while.  It  is  called  "Black- 
beard's  Tower,"  at  any  rate,  and  as  the  view  from  its  summit 
is  a  fine  one.  no  time  will  be  lost  if  a  visit  is  paid  to  it. 
On  another  hill  to  the  eastward  is  a  twin  tower  to  this  one, 
which  the  enterprising  proprietor  has  called  "Bluebeard's," 
from  which  the  view  is  also  fine.  The  best  structures  in 
Charlotte  Amalia,  which  contains  about  13.000  inhabitants 
(mostly  black  and  coloured,  as  usual),  are  on  Government 
Hill,  while  the  shops,  etc.,  are  on  the  main  street,  which  runs 
between  the  hills  and  the  harbour.  Reverting  to  the  view 
from  the  ridge  behind  the  town:  Directly  beneath  the  hill, 
to  the  southward,  are  the  town  and  harbour,  while  on  the 
opposite    side,    northward,    opens    a    beautiful,    harp-shaped 


3i8  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST   INDIES 

bay,  the  resort  of  pirates  and  buccaneers  in  times  past,  and 
almost  as  desolate  now  as  then.  Here  are  dehghtful  bathing- 
spots  beneath  the  palms,  in  the  open,  and  the  fishing  is  superb. 
A  few  deer  may  be  found  in  the  scrub  covering  a  hill  that 
encloses  one  side  of  the  bay,  and  in  the  season  come  hither 
migrant  pigeons  and  plover;  but  the  shooting  is  nothing  to 
boast  of.  Boating  excursions  may  be  made  to  the  various 
points  in  the  harbour,  which  is  always  safe  and  smooth, 
except  in  a  hurricane;  also  to  Water  Island,  Frenchman's 
Bay,  Kriim  Bay,  etc. 

Harbour  of  Charlotte  Amalia.  Boats  and  boatmen  are  nu- 
merous and  cheaply  obtained,  for  St.  Thomas  is  no  longer 
what  it  was  in  the  past,  with  ships  from  all  parts  of  the 
globe  making  it  a  port  of  call,  and  the  entrepot,  in  fact,  of 
the  southern  West  Indies.  Its  commerce  has  departed ;  it 
has  no  agriculture  to  fall  back  on ;  there  are  few  native 
industries,  save  the  picking  of  bay  leaves  and  the  distilling 
of  bay  rum,  and  the  13,000  people  (white,  black,  and  col- 
oured) are  sometimes  at  sorry  shifts,  indeed,  to  get  a  living. 
The  Danish  officials  are  about  the  only  ones  who  live  in 
luxury;  but  their  money  comes  from  poor  old  Denmark, 
who  vainly  tried  to  unload  its  burden  upon  the  United  States 
when  the  late  King  Christian  was  alive.  It  might  have  done 
so,  too,  but  for  a  difference  of  opinion  as  to  the  value  set 
upon  Saint  Thomas.  It  has  but  one  asset,  and  that  is  the 
landlocked  harbour,  capable  of  sheltering  200  ships  at  a 
time ;  but  even  that  has  been  depreciated  by  invasions  from 
hurricanes  now  and  then.  Still,  if  "Uncle  Sam"  could  have 
acquired  the  island  at  a  bargain  he  should  certainly  have 
done  so  when  it  was  offered  him  by  the  all-too-willing 
Danes ;  but  since  the  acquisition  of  Porto  Rico  the  necessity 
for  another  naval  station  in  these  waters  is  no  longer  im- 
perative. This  explanation  is  offered  for  a  reason.  If  the 
visitor  to  St.  Thomas — that  is,  the  American  visitor — is 
greeted  somewhat  sourly,  he  may  safely  set  it  down  to  the 
ancient  grievance.  The  people  see  prosperity  in  an  alliance 
with  the  United  States,  and  know  that  it  means  their  salva- 
tion. They  are  provoked  because  the  Yankees  will  not  come 
to  their  rescue. 

The   sights   about   the   town   are   very    few,    for   it   is   the 


VIRGIN  ISLANDS  319 

pervasive  atmosphere  of  antiquity  that  charms  one  in 
St.  Thomas.  The  old  Danish  fort,  dating  from  the  seven- 
teenth century,  is  so  obtrusively  suggestive,  with  its  skyward- 
pointing  cannon  and  its  woodeny  sentinels,  close  to  the 
landing-place,  that  it  will  be  one  of  the  first  objects  visited. 
No  passport  is  needed  for  the  island,  but  if  a  tarry  is  made 
here  one  is  demanded  by  the  thrifty  Danes  for  an  excursion 
to  St.  John  and  elsewhere,  and  costs  $1. 

Hotels,  Steamers,  etc.  A  large  hotel,  the  "Commercial," 
is  near  the  landing-wharf,  and  the  "Grand"  a  little  farther 
up.  Rates  from  $2  to  $2.50  per  day.  There  are  also  two  board- 
ing-houses, Mrs.  Taylor's  and  Mrs.  Danielson's,  at  $2  per  day. 

Carriages  for  the  few  short  excursions  available  are  on 
hire  at  $2  an  hour  and  horses  for  riding  at  50  cents  an  hour 
after  the  first  hour,  which  is  $1.  There  are  good  churches 
of  all  denominations  in  Charlotte  Amalia,  a  public  library, 
two  tennis  clubs,  and  a  cricket  club,  to  all  which  visitors 
with   credentials   are   welcomed. 

Charlotte  Amalia  is  an  important  coaling  station,  and  there 
is  a  large  floating  dock  here  for  the  repair  of  vessels.  One 
of  the  sights  is  that  of  coaling  steamers  by  negro  women, 
each  woman  carrying  a  huge  basket  of  coal,  nicely  balanced, 
and  without  apparent  fatigue.  Another  is  the  diving  of 
native  boys  for  coins  thrown  into  the  water  by  the  new 
arrivals.  They  are  very  expert  divers,  these  black  boys, 
and  rarely  fail  to  catch  a  coin  before  it  has  sunk  a  dozen 
feet  from  the  surface.  While  sharks  abound  in  the  harbour, 
as  in  all  tropical  waters,  the  divers  treat  them  with  con- 
tempt, even  swimming  among  and  chasing  them  through 
their  native  element. 

St.  Thomas  is  a  free  port,  and  everything  that  "foreign 
parts"  can  yield  and  export  is  found  here  at  the  very  lowest 
prices.  Wines,  spirits,  ducks,  linens,  silks,  and  woollen 
goods  are  extremely  low-priced,  and  as  the  island  is  the 
native  home  of  the  bay  rum  industry,  this  article  is  usually 
added  to  the  things  the  visitor  takes  in  stock  before  leaving 
port.    It  is  sold  in  New  York  by  Bornn  &  Co.,  28  So.  William  St. 

While  at  one  time  St.  Thomas  used  to  be  the  chief  port 
in  these  parts,  it  is  now  only  infrequently  visited  by  the 
ocean  liners.     The  Hamburg-American  Line  and  the  Royal 


320  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST  INDIES 

]\Iail  make  it  a  port  of  call  for  intercolonial  steamers,  the 
latter  connecting  with  the  main  line  at  Barbados. 

The  most  direct  line  from  New  York  is  the  "Quebec," 
also  with  the  lowest  fares,  of  $40-$55  (depending  upon  ac- 
commodation),   first-class,   one   way. 

Calls  at  St.  Thoma-s  usually  depend  upon  demands  for 
freight  or  passengers ;  but  the  near  island  of  Santa  Cruz, 
40  miles  south,  is  on  the  regular  schedule,  and  between  the 
two  there  is  connection  by  sailing  vessel.  Several  times 
every  season  the  Quebec  Line  sends  out  one  of  its  best 
steamers  on  a  'special  cruise,"  the  itinerary  of  which  in- 
cludes all  the  beautiful  islands  of  the  Lesser  Antilles  be- 
tween Barbados  and  Saint  Thomas.  The  time  out  by  this 
itinerary  is  six  days  to  St.  Thomas  and  eight  days  reverse 
trip,  from  Barbados  to  New  York.  The  cost  of  this  delight- 
ful trip  is  from  $100  to  $130.  and  the  time  occupied,  twenty- 
two  to  twenty-four  days,   New  York  to  New  York. 

The  French  and  Spanish  steamers,  also  the  Dutch  and 
German,  call  at  St.  Thomas  on  their  way  to  and  from  Porto 
Rico,  Haiti,  etc.,  and  there  are  many  opportunities  by  sailing 
vessels  to  the  various  islands  south  and  east,  though  accom- 
modations are  very  poor. 

The  "Gibraltar  of  America"  was  a  name  bestowed  upon 
St.  Thomas  by  those  cognisant  of  its  natural  impregnability, 
irrespective  of  fortifications.  The  enclosing  ridges  and  pro- 
jecting peninsulas  are  capable  of  being  made,  it  is  said  by 
experts,  absolutely  impregnable  to  assault  either  by  land 
or  by  sea.  For  this  reason,  and  also  on  account  of  its 
strategic  situation  with  respect  to  the  more  southern  islands 
and  coast  of  South  America  (but  more  especially  in  relation 
to  the  Panama  Canal,  one  sea  route  to  which  it  commands), 
the  island  has  been  frequently  recommended  by  naval  strat- 
egists for  purchase  by  the  United  States.  Its  vulnerability 
is  owing  to  natural  cause :  liability  to  be  swept  by  hurricanes, 
directly  in  the  track  of  which  it  lies. 

There  are  now  three  great  coaling  docks  in  the  harbour, 
belonging  to  the  "Compagnie  Generale  Transatlantique," 
the  Hamburg-American  Line  and  to  private  parties,  which 
handle  annually  in  the  aggregate  about  80,000  tons  of  coal. 
Steamers    can    be    cheaply    and    expeditiously    coaled    here 


VIRGIN  ISLANDS  321 

(though  every  basket  is  carried  on  the  heads  of  women), 
and  in  ordinary  weather  the  surface  of  the  harbour  is  like 
a  mill-pond  for  smoothness.  The  advantageous  situation  of 
Saint  Thomas  and  the  perfection  of  its  harl)our  was  recog- 
nised by  the  blockade  runners  during  the  Civil  War  in  the 
United  States,  who  made  it  their  rendezvous,  much  to  the 
annoyance  of  our  government. 

To-day,  however,  the  island  lives  mainly  upon  its  prestige 
in  the  past,  for  trade  departed  with  the  establishing  of 
cable  communication  with  the  world  at  large  and  the  neces- 
sity no  longer  existing  for  merchant  ships  coming  here  to 
wait  for  orders.  Not  long  ago  the  harbour  was  noted  for 
its  insalubrity,  owing  to  the  fact  that  there  was  no  outlet  for 
accumulated  filth ;  but  conditions  were  changed  for  the 
better  by  the  opening  of  a  channel  through  the  reefs,  and 
it  is  now  one  of  the  safest  in  the  world,  as  it  is  also  one  of 
the  most  sheltered  and  commodious. 

The  Island  of  Saint  John.  Among  the  islands  in  sig-ht 
from  the  hills  of  St.  Thomas — the  nearest,  in  fact — is  the 
beautiful  Saint  John,  rugged  and  forest-covered,  watered 
by  small  streams,  and  with  many  sandy  beaches.  It  is  only 
8  miles  long  by  4  miles  wide,  and  has  a  population  of  not 
over  2,000,  with  white  people  so  scarce  as  to  be  very  con- 
spicuous— when  one  finds  them.  Saint  John  has  been  prac- 
tically abandoned  to  the  blacks ;  but  it  is  a  gem  among 
islands  and  deserving  of  a  better  fate.  It  has  fragrant  forests 
in  which  pimento,  bay,  and  cofifee  trees  run  wild,  and  at  least 
one  harbour  which  is  as  commodious  as  Charlotte  Amalia's, 
but  never  visited  by  larger  craft  than  coasting  vessels.  Coral 
Bay,  as  it  is  called,  is  so  secluded  on  the  windward  coast 
of  St.  John,  that  few  mariners  even  ever  saw  it.  and  yet  has 
the  reputation  of  being  (what  the  harbour  of  St.  Thomas 
is  not)  hurricane-proof.  It  also  has  good  anchorage  places 
in  deep  water — 13  fathoms  and  more — and  was  once  the 
rendezvous  of  buccaneers,  whose  existence  here  at  one  time 
is  shown  by  the  rusty  cannon  scattered  over  the  island  in 
various  fortifications.  The  woods  of  Saint  John  are  the 
haunts  of  wild  pigeons,  doves,  humming-birds,  etc..  and  the 
waters  around  its  shores  are  filled  with  fish. 

Rarely  does  a  steamer  touch  at  Saint  John,  and  the  only 


322  A  GUIDE  TO   THE  WEST   INDIES 

means  of  reaching  it,  except  one  be  cruising  in  a  private 
yacht,  is  afforded  by  sailing  vessels  from  Charlotte  Amalia. 

The  bay  rum,  for  which  Saint  Thomas  is  celebrated,  is 
made  by  macerating  the  leaves  and  berries  of  the  bay  tree 
with  pure  new  rum  and  then  distilling  the  decoction  by  pass- 
ing it  through  a  "worm."  The  bay  rum  thus  prepared  is  the 
best  in  the  world,  and.  in  fact,  the  only  perfect  product. 
There  are  two  or  three  distillers  in  St.  Thomas,  and  one 
distiller  in  St.  John,  who  makes  his  bay  rum  on  the  planta- 
tion where  the  bay  trees  grow. 

Tortola,  Isle  of  the  Turtle  Dove.  A  few  hours'  run  from 
Saint  Thomas  is  the  island  of  Tortola,  or  the  Turtle  Dove, 
a  British  possession,  gone  to  seed.  Once  a  week  a  small 
steamer  makes  the  trip  there  from  Charlotte  Amalia ;  but  it 
is  unreliable,  and  the  accommodations  are  not  of  the  best. 
Tortola  is  the  largest  island  of  the  Virgin  group,  and  its 
only  settlement.  Roadtozvn,  on  its  south  shore,  with  a  popu- 
lation of  less  than  500.  is  the  capital.  The  Virgins  have 
a  total  area  of  about  58  square  miles,  and  most  of  them 
are  hilly  or  mountainous.  The  population  is  under  5,000. 
and  the  resources  of  the  islands  are  not  large  or  varied. 
Tortola  is  indeed  a  forsaken  island,  for  almost  the  only 
white  people  in  it  are  the  governor  or  local  magistrate  and 
the  physician.  Buccaneer  cannon  have  been  found  here,  and 
old  coins  of  their  time ;  but  the  present  inhabitants  of  Tortola 
are  peaceful  and  uninteresting.  They  subsist  upon  what 
they  get  from  the  sea  and  by  cultivation  of  the  soil.  Hotels 
and  boarding-houses  are  not  to  be  found,  though  meals  may 
be  obtained  in  a  few  private  families. 

"The  Fat  Virgin."  The  island  of  Tortola  is  18  miles 
long  by  7  wide,  with  a  mountain  forming  its  central  ridge 
having  a  peak  1.800  feet  in  height.  Next  in  size  is  Virgin 
Gorda,  or  the  "Fat  Virgin,"  which  is  8  miles  in  length  and 
contains  52.000  acres  of  mostly  arid  soil.  It  has  a  mountain 
1,300  feet  high,  the  cliffs  of  which  contain  rich  veins  of 
copper  mixed  with  gold.  A  copper  mine  is  being  worked 
to-day,  and  great  things  are  expected  of  Virgin  Gorda, 
though  its  revenues  are  always  a  little  less  than  its  expendi- 
tures; and  the  same  may  be  said  of  all  the  islands  in  the 
group. 


VIRGIN  ISLANDS  323 

The  third  island  worthy  of  mention  is  Anegada,  long 
and  narrow,  12  miles  by  2,  and  so  low  that  the  sea  some- 
times breaks  quite  over  it.  The  few  inhabitants  are  blacks, 
and,  needless  to  say,  there  is  no  hotel,  either  here  or  in 
Virgin  Gorda.  It  is  believed  that  all  these  islands  abound 
in  mineral  resources ;  but  hitherto  no  great  fortunes  have 
been  made  in  working  them. 

Sir  Francis  Drake's  Bay.  Anegada,  or  the  "Overflowed 
Island,"  as  it  has  been  called  from  its  oft-submerged  con- 
dition, contains  a  great  lagoon  known  as  Flamingo  Pond, 
which  is  one  of  the  few  resorts  of  flamingos,  it  is  said,  in 
the  islands  south  of  the  Bahamas.  Like  the  other  Virgins. 
it  was  a  favourite  retreat  of  the  buccaneers,  who  knew  all 
its  secluded  coves  and  harbours  behind  the  great  enclosing 
reef,  and  by  this  knowledge  were  able  to  escape  from  their 
foes  in  pursuit.  At  a  place  called  Gallows  Bay  (from  a 
gibbet  having  been  erected  there)  rich  veins  of  silver  and 
copper  have  been  traced,  and  old  coins  discovered,  worth, 
it  is  believed,  more  than  their  weight  in  gold.  Not  only 
buccaneers  and  pirates  made  their  rendezvous  here,  but  those 
followers  of  the  sea  scarcely  less  reckless  than  they,  the 
privateers,  of  which  number  was  Sir  Francis  Drake,  after 
whom  the  great  bay,  partially  enclosed  by  the  Virgin  Islands, 
was  named ;  for  if  he  did  not  discover  it,  he  made  it  his 
retreat  when  on  the  watch  for  Spanish  galleons  laden  with 
gold,  which  sometimes  took  the  Anegada  Passage  from  the 
Caribbean  into  the  Atlantic. 

There  are  in  all  some  thirty  or  forty  islands  in  the  Virgin 
group  proper,  the  area  of  the  British  possessions  being 
58  square  miles.  The  names  of  some  were  bestowed  by 
buccaneers,  such  as  Riiui  Island,  Dead  Man's  Chest,  Dutch- 
man's Cap,  and  Broken  Jerusalem.  South  of  Tortola,  and 
under  its  government,  is  Norman  Island,  containing  about 
1.500  acres,  and  celebrated  as  one  of  the  numerous  burial- 
places   of  Captain  Kidd's   ill-gotten   treasure. 

Isle  of  the  Holy  Cross.  Santa  Cms,  the  island  of  the 
Holy  Cross,  was  so  named  by  Christopher  Columbus  when, 
on  his  second  voyage  to  America,  he  came  sailing  through 
the  Caribbees.  in  1493.  Many  attempts  have  been  made  to 
change  the  perfect   Spanish  name  to   French,  but   with   no 


324  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST  INDIES 

more  success  than  reason,  and  as  Santa  Cruz,  not  as  Saintc 
Croix,  the  island  is  best  known,  and  should  be.  It  is 
19  miles  long  by  5  in  average  breadth,  and  supports  some 
25,000  people,  the  bulk  of  them  blacks,  but  with  such  a 
goodly  sprinkling  of  whites  that  the  condition  of  the  island 
is  not  yet  altogether  hopeless.  This  is  one  of  the  three 
Danish  islands,  the  other  two  being  St.  Thomas  and  St.  John. 
There  is  no  reason  in  the  world  for  Denmark  to  hold  them, 
for  she  derives  no  greater  income  from  her  tropical  pos- 
sessions in  America  than  from  her  frigid  territory  of 
Greenland. 

Isle  of  Rum  and  Sugar.  Santa  Cruz  possesses  what  St. 
Thomas  lacks,  a  fertile  soil — 74  square  miles  of  it — 
some  portions  in  a  high  state  of  cultivation.  Sugar-cane 
is  her  staple  product — sugar-cane  and  rum,  which  is,  of 
course,  always  a  concomitant  of  sugar,  a  by-product.  In 
some  islands  the  people  make  sugar  merely  for  the  rum 
that  may  be  distilled  from  the  cane  juice,  but  in  Santa  Cruz 
it  is  regarded  as  incidental  to  the  greater  operation,  and 
success  is  attained  accordingly.  Though  given  over  mainly 
to  sugar  producing,  the  island  is  pleasing  in  appearance,  with 
a  rolling  surface  and  a  diversity  of  vegetation  "in  spots." 
All  the  trees  of  the  tropics  can  be  grown  here,  as  exemplified 
in  the  gardens,  where  they  flourish  luxuriantly,  and  cocoa- 
palms  adorn  the  landscape  everywhere.  They  accompany 
the  traveller  across  the  island,  15  miles,  and  give  character 
to  an  otherwise  almost  featureless  scenery. 

There  are  two  towns  on  the  island:  Christiansted  in  the 
east  and  Frederikstcd  in  the  west,  but  neither  is  attractive 
close  at  hand.  There  is  a  fine  view  from  the  terrace  of  the 
government  buildings  at  Christiansted,  but  the  town  itself  is 
not  remarkable.  It  is  also  known  as  Bassin,  as  Frederiksted 
is  called  JVest  End,  and  the  two  are  15  miles  apart,  with 
much  quiet  beauty  of  natural  scenery  crowded  into  those 
15  miles,  all  agree  who  have  taken  the  ride.  Rather  the 
better  appearing  of  the  two  towns  is  Frederiksted,  where,  in 
1867,  the  United  States  frigate  Monongahela  went  ashore. 
Perhaps  nothing  more  exciting  ever  took  place  here,  except 
the  negro  insurrection  of  1878.  for  the  event  was  caused 
and  accompanied  by  a  tidal   wave  60  feet  high,   which  left 


CO 


VIRGIN  ISLANDS  325 

the  old  "tub"  standing  erect  among  the  dwellings  of  the 
town.  The  natives  seemed  to  think  that  this  was  one  way 
in  which  the  United  States  meant  to  take  possession  of  the 
island ;  but  after  months  of  hard  work  the  warship  was 
returned  to  her  native  element  and  steamed  away,  to  come 
back  years  after  and  partake  of  Santa  Cruzian  hospitality 
in  commemoration  of  the  event.  There  is  but  one  good 
boarding-house  at  the  West  End.  dignified  by  the  name  of 
hotel,    but    it    has    a    fair    reputation. 

Santa  Cms  is  more  American  than  Danish,  as  also  is 
St.  Thomas,  and  the  sum  and  substance  of  European  dom- 
ination is  expressed  by  about  three  dozen  stolid  soldiers, 
a  flag,  and  a  few  obsolete  forts.  Most  of  the  planters  are  of 
Irish  extraction,  but  the  best  plantations,  with  up-to-date 
methods  and  improved  machinery,  are  held  by  the  Bartram 
Brothers,  well-known  and  progressive  Americans.  Eor  many 
years  they  have  had  dealings  with  the  West  Indies,  their 
name  being  a  synonym  for  enterprise  and  integrity.  They 
are  represented  in  Santa  Cruz  by  a  "typical  Yankee,"  once 
a  sailor,  now  a  successful  planter,  Captain  A.  J.  Blackwood, 
who  has  shown  the  Santa  Cruzians  a  few  new  "wrinkles" 
in  the  way  of  improved  methods,  and  has  renovated  the 
cultivation  of  sugar-cane.  All  over  the  island  here  and 
there  one  may  see  the  picturesque  but  antiquated  windmills, 
with  which  the  planters  who  still  work  after  the  fashion 
of  their  ancestors  grind  their  cane ;  but  these  have  been 
replaced  by  steam  machinery  on  the  Bartram  plantations, 
and  the  results  have  been  most  satisfactory.  Captain  Black- 
wood's home  is  at  beautiful  "Golden  Grove."  so  named 
because  here  grow  the  famed  apples  of  the  Hesperidcs,  but 
his  office  is  at  Christiansted.  where  he  serves  his  native 
country  as  American  Consular  Agent.  Like  St.  Thomas, 
the  island  has  chosen  English  as  the  speech  of  its  civilised 
inhabitants,  though  Danish  is  the  official  language,  while  the 
negroes  speak  a  jargon  composed  of  the  two  mingled  to- 
gether, with  some  African  words  to  remind  them  of  their 
ancestry. 

The  driz'cs  around  the  ishmd.  as  already  mentioned,  are 
very  fine,  and  the  road  connecting  the  two  towns  is  cele- 
l)ratcd.     The  cost  for  a  single  buggy  is  $1  an  hour;  for  a 


7,26  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST   INDIES 

carriage  across  the  island  and  return,  two  horses,  generally 
$8.  The  drive  to  Mount  Victory,  6  miles  from  Frederik- 
sted,  is  inspiring;  another  to  the  shell  beaches  of  Ham 
Point  and  Butler's  Bay,  and  still  another  to  the  various 
sugar  plantations. 

Hotels  and  Steamers.  There  is  a  very  good  boarding- 
house  in  Christiansted.  kept  by  Mrs.  M.  E.  Pentheney,  and 
another  in  Frederiksted,  by  Mr.  Frank  Coulter,  who  also 
has  an  excellent  livery.  The  rates  are  $2  per  day,  with  reduc- 
tions by  the  week  or  month.  As  a  health  resort  Santa  Cruz 
has  long  held  an  enviable  reputation,  but  travel  thither  has 
not  been  extensive  enough  to  warrant  the  building  of  the 
hotel  it  deserves  or  visitors  for  the  winter  demand.  The 
West  End  Club  at  Frederiksted  welcomes  strangers  with 
credentials,  and  the  Bassin  Club,  at  Christiansted.  From 
the  veranda  of  the  latter  club  a  fine  view  is  outspread  of  the 
picturesque  bay,  where  is  generally  anchored  the  venerable 
Vigilant,  a  schooner  packet,  which,  if  it  still  survives,  makes 
bi-weekly  trips  to  and  from  St.  Thomas,  as  it  has  done, 
it  is  said,  for  more  than  a  hundred  years.  The  Vigilant  is 
the  oldest  vessel  in  these  waters,  having  been  a  privateer,  a 
pirate  craft,  a  slaver  and  a  man-of-war,  so  she  has  a  record 
reeking  with  blood  and  mystery. 

While  formerly  a  favourite  resort  of  Americans,  when  the 
only  means  of  communication  were  afforded  by  sailing 
vessels,  Santa  Cruz  is  not  so  often  visited  of  late  by  health 
seekers,  who  now  find  the  same  or  a  similar  climate  with 
better  facilities  for  enjoyment  in  other  islands  farther  to  the 
southward. 

The  Quebec  Line  makes  regular  trips  between  New  York 
and  Santa  Cruz,  with  the  same  schedule  and  fares  as  to  and 
from  St.  Thomas,  and  includes  the  island  in  its  itinerary  of 
"special  cruises"  through  the  Caribbees,  the  cost  of  which 
is  from  $ioo  to  $130,  and  the  time  three  weeks. 

Sombrero.  The  island  of  Sombrero  was  so  named  be- 
cause of  its  resemblance  at  a  distance  to  a  Spanish  hat. 
Ii  is  the  most  northerly  of  the  calcareous  Caribbees,  or  of 
those  which  form  a  sort  of  barrier  reef  to  the  volcanic 
islands,  as  though  fending  Saba,  St.  Kitts,  St.  Eustatius,  and 
Nevis   from  the  rough   Atlantic.     It  is   little  more  than  a 


VIRGIxN  ISLANDS  127 

mass  of  rocks,  but  which  at  one  time  proved  of  value  to 
miners  of  phosphate  deposits,  since  exhausted.  Sombrero 
is  well  known  to  sailors,  but  is  rarely  visited,  and  there  is 
absolutely  nothing  to  attract  the  traveller  that  cannot  be 
found  more  easily  in  some  other  island. 

Anguilla,  or  Eel  Island  (sometimes  called  the  Little 
Snake),  lies  about  60  miles  to  the  north  of  St.  Kitts,  with 
which  island  it  is  associated  in  government.  It  is  only  16  miles 
in  length  and  from  a  mile  to  3  miles  in  width,  with  an  area 
of  36  square  miles.  It  is  sterile  in  the  main,  with  few 
trees  and  little  cultivable  land,  though  the  people,  of  whom 
there  are  over  3,000,  almost  all  blacks,  raise  some  cattle 
and  ponies,  which  they  export.  The  wretched  beasts  are 
pastured  on  the  salt  grass  chiefly,  and  are  generally  stunted, 
though  tough  and  hardy.  White  people  here  are  conspicu- 
ous only  by  their  rarity,  for  the  island  has  been  practically 
given  up  to  negroes,  who  have  made  it  and  the  outlying 
islands  their  home.  A  cluster  of  rocks  between  Anguilla  and 
Sombrero  is  known  as  the  Dogs,  because  of  their  resem- 
blance to  a  white-fanged  pack  of  hounds  chasing  their  prey 
through  and  over  the  waves. 

St.  Martin.  In  olden  times,  when  the  French,  English,  and 
Dutch  fought  for  supremacy  in  these  seas,  it  often  chanced 
that  some  two  nationalities  were  in  possession  of  an  island 
or  two  at  the  same  time.  The  joint  ownership  did  not  last 
long,  and  generally  ended  in  a  fight,  with  the  result  that  the 
stronger  retained  possession  and  drove  the  weaker  away. 
There  is  one  island  in  the  Caribbean  chain  which  is  still 
owned  jointly  by  two  nationalities,  the  French  and  the 
Dutch.  This  is  the  island  of  St.  Martin,  southwest  of  and 
not  far  distant  from  Anguilla,  which  it  slightly  surpasses 
in  area  (38  square  miles)  and  far  surpasses  in  scenic  attrac- 
tions, as  it  is  mountainous,  fertile,  and  in  places  forest-cov- 
ered. The  striking  features  of  St.  Martin  are  its  conical 
hills,  the  loftiest  of  which  is  Paradise  Peak,  over  1,900  feet 
in  height.  Springs  and  small  streams  have  their  sources  in 
the  hills,  and  along  shore  are  broad  lagoons. 

The  northern  half  of  the  island  is  French,  with  its  seat 
of  government  in  Guadeloupe,  and  its  capital  is  the  inter- 
esting little  port  of  Marigot,  on  the  leeward  coast,  contain- 


328  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST   INDIES 

ing  the  greater  portion  of  its  3,000  inhabitants.  The  Dutch 
half  of  St.  Martin  lies  in  the  south,  with  its  emporium  at 
Philipsburg.  It  is  more  populous  than  the  French  moiety, 
as  the  number  of  people  under  Dutch  rule  is  above  5,000. 
They  are  engaged  chiefly  in  fisheries,  salt  making,  and  culti- 
vation of  the  soil,  their  "provision  grounds"  yielding  them 
a   small   but  certain   revenue. 

The  island  is  rarely  visited  by  steamers,  with  exception 
of  boats  on  official  visits  from  Guadeloupe  or  Curagao,  the 
seats  of  their  respective  governments.  Sailing  vessels  occa- 
sionally make  the  trip  from  St.  Thomas  or  St.  Kitts,  but 
their  accommodations  are  scant  and  not  to  be  recommended. 

Saint  Bartholomew.  St.  Barfs,  as  this  island  is  generally 
called,  is  the  most  southerly  of  the  trio  composed  of  An- 
guilla,  St.  Martin,  and  itself,  and  the  smallest  of  the  group, 
being  only  8  square  miles  in  area.  Its  total  population 
will  not  exceed  3,000.  It  belongs  to  France,  and  is  a  colonial 
or  administrative  dependency  of  Guadeloupe,  like  the  French 
portion  of  St.  IMartin.  It  is  more  hilly  than  mountainous, 
with  one  elevation  of  i.ooo  feet  altitude,  but  has  no  fresh- 
water springs  or  streams.  Its  population  is  almost  entirely 
black  or  coloured,  and  both  men  and  women,  owing  to  the 
poverty  of  their  island,  may  be  found  scattered  throughout 
all  the  northern  islands  of  the  chain  in  search  of  work.  They 
are  generally  sturdy  and  faithful  workers,  and  most  of  them 
speak  English,  though  French  is  the  official  tongue,  and  a 
portion  of  the  island  was  Swedish  for  nearly  a  century,  or 
until  1878.  Then  France  acquired  the  whole  of  it;  but  its 
only  port,  the  beautiful  (by  nature)  port  of  Gustaina,  be- 
speaks its  former  ownership. 

A  Buccaneer  Island.  Saint  Barts  is  now  nearly  mori- 
bund, but  there  was  a  time  in  the  seventeenth  and  eighteenth 
centuries  when  its  people  rolled  in  wealth,  and  its  pretty 
port  swarmed  with  vessels  belonging  to  those  sea-rovers 
known  as  buccaneers.  One  of  these,  ]\Iontbars,  from  his 
cruelties  called  the  "Exterminator,"  made  his  headquarters 
here,  and  is  said  to  have  buried  vast  treasures  in  caves  along 
the  shore ;  though  they  have  never  been  found. 

During  the  continuance  of  America's  great  Revolution,  say 
from  1776  to  1782,  Gustavia  was  the  resort  of  privateers,  and 


VIRGIN  ISLANDS  329 

accumulated  such,  a  vast  quantity  of  contraband  goods,  that 
when  the  British  under  Rodney  sacked  the  place,  more  than 
$2,000,000  worth  was-  taken  away. 

There  are  no  hotels  in  any  of  these  three  islands,  nor  have 
they  steam  communication  with  other  places,  except  through 
an  infrequent  "tramp"  or  excursion  steamer.  They  may  be 
reached  most  easily  from  Saint  Kitts  by  sailing  vessel. 

"Bonaparte's  Cocked  Hat."  The  island  of  Saba  is  a  vol- 
canic pinnacle  thrust  up  from  the  ocean  depths  to  a  height 
above  the  sea  of  2,800  feet.  Nearly  a  thousand  feet  from  the 
shore,  one  side  of  that  pinnacle  was  blasted  off  by  an  erup- 
tion some  time  in  the  ages  past,  and  here  is  the  island's  only 
town,  called  "Bottom,"  because  it  is  in  the  bottom  of  a 
crater.  The  crater  has  long  been  extinct,  however,  and  the 
people  live  there  secure  in  the  belief  that  it  will  never  blow 
out  again.  There  are  some  1,500  people  in  Bottom,  and  per- 
haps 300  more  scattered  over  the  island,  which  is  only  5 
square  miles  in  area,  including  the  hills  and  the  mountain. 
One  peculiarity  of  the  island-mountain  is  that  it  has  no  har- 
bour. This  is  a  peculiarity  that  does  not  appeal  to  one  who 
has  essayed  a  landing  there,  for  it  is  at  no  time  agreeable,  and 
sometimes  is  very  dangerous.  It  is  said  that  no  steamer  has 
ever  touched  at  the  island  except  the  government  packet, 
and  perhaps  a  pleasure-yacht  or  two,  and  of  the  thousand 
sail  that  pass  it  by  at  sea,  few  ever  stop  to  hail  the  shore. 
I\Iany  years  ago,  when  the  first  Napoleon  was  at  the  height 
of  his  career,  some  facetious  sailor  named  Saba  "Bona- 
parte's Cocked  Hat,"  from  a  fancied  resemblance  to  the 
great  man's  chapeau,  as  some  other  mariner  called  another 
island   north   of  it   "Sombrero." 

An  Island  zvitJwut  a  Harbour.  From  the  time  of  Van 
Home  and  Van  Trompe,  who  once  swept  the  ocean  with 
brooms  at  their  mast-heads,  Saba  has  been,  so  tradition  says, 
the  dwelling  place  of  Dutch  sailors,  who  came  here  to  rec- 
reate, as  they  might  climb  to  the  main-top  for  a  look  ahead. 
Most  of  their  time  is  spent  at  sea.  now  as  in  privateering 
days,  but  they  leave  behind  their  wives  and  families,  who 
support  themselves  by  a  scant  cultivation  of  the  soil.  The 
women  also  make  delicate  "drawn-work,"  for  sale  in  Saint 
Kitts,  while  boys  and  girls  contribute  to  the  meagre  earnings 


330  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST  INDIES 

of  the  family.  These  people  are  the  brightest-eyed  and 
rosiest-cheeked  of  any  one  may  find  in  any  island  of  the 
West  Indies,  veritable  copies  of  their  prototypes  in  Holland, 
whence  came  their  ancestors  to  this  island.  For  they  dwell 
for  the  most  part  in  a  temperate  climate,  at  an  elevation 
sufficient  to  cool  the  atmosphere  appreciably,  and  they  also 
live  temperately  and  contentedly  in  their  aeries  on  the  moun- 
tain-side. 

As  already  said,  the  island  has  no  harbour,  and  only  when 
the  sea  is  smooth  can  a  landing  be  made,  either  on  the  lee- 
ward or  the  windward  shore.  On  the  former  there  is  a 
trail  leading  to  the  crater  that  may  be  easily  climbed;  but 
on  the  latter  it  is  so  steep  that  one  is  in  danger  of  falling 
over  the  precipices.  Yet  the  residents  here  climb  it  fearlessly, 
some  with  great  loads  on  their  heads,  as  of  half  a  barrel  of 
flour  or  pork,  w^hich  they  carry  with  ease.  These  are  the 
blacks,  who,  judging  by  appearances,  have  mingled  less 
intimately  with  the  whites  than  in  other  islands,  as  there, 
are  few  coloured  people,  so  called,  and  the  Dutch  pride 
themselves  upon  the  purity  of  their  blood.  Dutch  is  the 
official  language  here,  as  in  Statia,  but  the  visitor  will  have 
no  trouble  in  finding  people  who  speak  English,  nor  in  ob- 
taining guides  up  and  down  the  volcano,  as  well  as  to  the 
sulphur  deposit  on  the  leeward  side. 

Saba  is  well  known  to  the  other  islands  as  a  health  resort, 
but  as  there  are  no  hotels,  and  no  sanitarium  with  a  roof 
over  it,  and  besides,  as  the  difficulties  of  getting  here  are 
almost  insuperable  to  some,  it  is  rarely  visited.  Saba  people 
go  elsewhere  by  the  hundred,  especially  to  St.  Kitts  and  St. 
Thomas,  but  their  visits  are  infrequently  returned.  Hence 
their  isolation  is  perfect,  and  a  stranger  coming  here  is 
looked  at  rather  askance,  though  by  nature  these  people 
are  not  inhospitable.  They  dwell  with  great  content  at 
Bottom  in  the  crater,  enclosed  by  mountain  peaks  on  every 
side,  their  little  houses  set  within  diminutive  garden  plots 
walled  in  with  great  rocks,  of  which  there  are  many  millions 
scattered  over  the  surface  of  the  ground. 

Some  one  has  suggested  that  it  is  well  that  most  of  Saba's 
sailors  die  at  sea,  as  otherwise  there  would  be  no  soil  at  home 
in  which  to  bury  them.     It  is  certainly  scant,  and  the  little 


*5!l   h 


too 

c 


VIRGIN  ISLANDS  33i 

vale  is  apportioned  into  small  gardens  from  which  the  rocks 
and  stones  have  been  removed  and  made  into  walls,  so  that 
the  lanes  and  bypaths  run  through  narrow  canyons,  in 
places,  over  the  sides  of  which  trail  tropical  vines  hung  with 
thousands  of  flowers.  There  are  few  shops  in  Saba,  and 
nearly  all  the  garden  produce,  wdiich  includes  potatoes  and 
strawberries  (articles  which  cannot  be  raised  in  other  isl- 
ands), is  shipped  to  St.  Thomas.  Excellent  boats  are  made  in 
the  crater,  and  with  infinite  labour  taken  down  to  the  shore. 

The  Peak  of  Saba  rises  nearly  i,8oo  feet  above  the  town 
and  may  be  scaled,  but  only  with  difficulty.  The  beginning 
of  the  ascent  is  at  "Martinique  Gut,"  one  of  the  ravines 
leading  into  the  mountain,  filled  with  beautiful  tree-ferns, 
palms,  wald  plantains,  and  a  wealth  of  epiphytes.  It  is  a 
hard  climb  to  the  summit,  but  the  view^  thence,  embracing 
an  island-dotted  sea  whose  horizon  is  probably  80  miles  dis- 
tant, is  reward  enough  for  greater  toil. 

On  the  windward  side  of  the  island  is  a  sulphur  mine, 
driven  in  from  the  face  of  a  cliff,  with  derricks  supported 
by  wire  ropes,  600  feet  above  the  sea.  It  is  said  to  be  the 
only  deposit  of  pure  sulphur  in  America,  and  is  in  great 
request,  though  from  its  location  difficult  to  obtain.  When 
the  writer  was  there,  the  crude  sulphur  was  being  blasted 
from  the  cliff  and  shot  down  to  the  holds  of  vessels  anchored 
amid  the  wild  waves  below.  Objects  of  curiosity  here  are 
the  mine  itself,  the  shape  of  an  immense  hand  impressed 
upon  the  rock,  which  the  natives  call  the  "devil's  hoof,"  and 
a  smooth,  flat  rock  which  is  always  hot,  no  matter  how 
cool  the  atmosphere  or  how  hard  the  rainstorm,  and  this  is 
known  as  the  "devil's  heating-iron."  Some  of  the  cliffs 
near  Bottom  have  fantastic  shapes,  and  one  of  them  is 
called  Saint  Patrick's  Rock,  from  its  supposed  resemblance 
to  a  giant  Plibernian.  But  the  greatest  curiosity  here  is 
Bottom  itself,  amid  its  unique  surroundings. 

The  distance  from  Saint  Kitts  is  about  40  miles,  from 
Statia  20,  and  one  may  get  there  best  from  Saint  Kitts.  by 
taking  passage  in  the  weekly  packet,  or  chartering  a  sloop. 

One  of  the  Dutch  Islands.  In  the  general  distribution 
of  spoils  and  partition  of  territory,  after  France.  Holland, 
and  Great  Britain  had  ceased  fighting  in  the  West  Indies,  the 


2Z2  A  GUIDE  TO   THE   WEST   INDIES 

Dutch  found  themselves  possessed  of  half  a  dozen  small 
islands,  which  they  have  ever  since  retained.  The  largest 
of  these  is  Curagao,  on  the  coast  of  Venezuela,  and  the 
smallest  Saba,  in  the  extreme  northwestern  tip  of  the  vol- 
canic Caribbean  chain.  Next  to  it  in  size  is  Saint  En$tatius, 
commonly  called  Statia,  which  is  7  square  miles  in  area,  or 
two  more  than  Saba.  Thus  it  will  be  seen  that  both  are  very 
small,  and  would  seem  insignificant,  were  it  not  for  their 
physical  character  and  history. 

The  town  of  Orange  in  Statia  is  about  25  miles  distant 
from  Basse  Terre  in  St.  Kitts,  from  which  latter  place 
there  is  a  semi-weekly  packet,  a  small  sloop,  that  carries 
passengers.  Statia  vies  with  Nevis  in  the  perfect  curvature 
of  its  volcano,  and  symmetry  of  its  sea-line,  consisting 
mainly  of  a  single  mountain  thrust  up  from  the  waves  to  the 
height  of  nearly  2,000  feet.  It  is  not  so  completely  clothed 
in  forest  as  the  mountain  of  Nevis,  but  rises  like  a  rock- 
pyramid,  with  a  circular  crater-brim,  from  which  its  sides 
slope  down  to  the  sea.  It  is  one  of  the  most  impressive  of 
objects,  but,  though  seen  by  every  voyager  to  these  seas, 
is  so  rarely  visited  that  a  description  may  not  be  out  of 
place.  There  is  no  harbour,  natural  or  artificial,  to  be  found 
on  Statia's  shores,  but  on  the  leeward,  or  western  coast,  is 
the  roadstead  of  Port  Orange,  where  the  Dutch  Government 
has   recently   constructed   a   steel   jetty. 

This  port  and  capital  of  Statia  is  now  in  a  state  of  de- 
cadence, but  in  the  eighteenth  century  was  one  of  the  most 
important  in  all  the  Caribbees.  During  the  revolutionary 
period  of  United  States  history  it  was  the  resort  of  priva- 
teers, as  well  as  an  entrepot  for  naval  and  military  stores 
from  Holland  which  were  of  material  assistance  to  the 
belligerent  colonies.  Hence,  toward  the  close  of  the  war, 
the  port  was  pounced  upon  by  Lord  Rodney,  acting  under 
orders  from  his  government,  and  as  there  was  then  a  large 
fleet  of  richly  laden  ships  in  the  roadstead,  plunder  was  se- 
cured to  the  amount  of  $15,000,000.  Scarcely  so  many  cents 
as  then  were  found  dollars  have  been  in  Port  Orange  since 
that  time,  and  the  sad  little  place  is  a  reminder  merely  of 
the  past. 

First  American   Flag   Saluted.     It   was   here,   tradition 


VIRGIN  ISLANDS  333 

states,  that  the  first  distinctive  flag  borne  by  an  American 
vessel  was  sahited,  in  November,  1776.  What  the  flag  re- 
sembled no  one  knows,  but  it  is  said  to  have  had  thirteen 
stripes,  though  the  starry  field  was  lacking,  and  the  colours 
were  red,  white,  and  blue.  It  was  carried  by  a  saucy  priva- 
teer, the  Andrew  Doria,  of  Baltimore,  which  had  come  into 
port  for  supplies.  The  ruler  of  Statia  at  that  time  was 
sturdy  Governor  De  Graaff,  who  (rather  indiscreetly,  as  the 
sequel  showed)  ordered  the  flag  saluted  from  the  fort. 
Old  Fort  Orange  still  occupies  the  place  it  held  then,  on  the 
crown  of  a  hill  above  the  town,  and  there  are  <:annon  there 
from  which  the  salute  may  have  been  fired;  but  most,  if 
not  all  of  them,  bear  date,  it  is  said,  later  than  that  in  which 
the  important  event  occurred  that  brought  grief  to  poor  Port 
Orange. 

Statia's  Quiescent  Volcano.  An  attractive  feature  of  the 
Statia  volcano  is  that  it  can  be  easily  scaled.  Obtaining  a 
guide  in  Port  Orange,  and  also  a  horse,  one  may  ascend  to 
the  rim  of  the  crater  in  a  few  hours,  whence  a  glorious  view 
is  outspread  of  half  the  island,  and  the  whole  of  its  near 
neighbours — Saba,  St.  Kitts,  St.  Barts,  etc.  Then  one  may 
easily  descend  into  the  "Bowl"  by  a  steep  and  winding 
trail,  where  will  be  found  great  ceiba  and  gommier  trees 
with  trunks  2  feet  in  diameter,  as  well  as  luxuriant  vege- 
tation in  general  that  is  partly  temperate,  partly  tropical. 
Physical  conditions  within  the  crater  indicate  that  many 
centuries  must  have  elapsed  since  the  volcano's  last  erup- 
tion, and  indeed  there  is  no  record,  nor  even  a  tradition,  of 
one.  The  writer  once  passed  a  night  on  the  volcano,  in 
order  to  study  nocturnal  phenomena,  and  obtain  the  sunrise 
view,  which  was  one  of  his  surpassing  experiences. 

The  Scenery  of  Statia.  Saint  Eustatius  consists  chiefly  of 
the  extinct  volcano  and  the  detritus  washed  down  from  its 
cliff^s.  with  the  material  formerly  erupted  from  its  crater, 
v>hich  gave  it  a  fertile  soil  that  at  one  time  was  extensively 
cultivated.  In  former  times,  history  states,  it  was  like  a 
vast  garden,  with  great  fields  of  sugar-cane,  tobacco,  indigo, 
cassava,  cotton  and  cotTee ;  but  at  present  there  is  little  cul- 
tivation. It  once  supported  20.000  people,  including  at  least 
5. 000  Hollanders  and  many  Jews,  drawn  hither  by  its  riches. 


334  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST   INDIES 

I'he  old  cemetery  at  Orange  tells  the  tale,  with  its  great 
headstones  richly  carved,  of  these  ancient  worthies ;  but  of 
white  people  to-day  there  are  very  few  (about  150),  most 
of  the  population  (total  1,500)  being  of  African  descent. 
The  old  church  in  which  Governor  De  Graaff  and  other 
brave  Dutchmen  worshipped  is  in  ruins,  the  tower  alone 
standing;  their  houses,  once  adorned  with  precious  tiles, 
fallen  to  the  ground. 

While  Dutch  is  the  official  language,  the  speech  in  common 
use  is  English,  since  communication  with  the  outer  world  is 
carried  on  through  Saint  Kitts,  where  it  is  spoken  entirely, 
though  not  always  in  its  purity.  The  surface  of  the  island 
outside  the  volcano  is  hilly  and  uneven,  the  most  fertile 
soil  being  over  on  the  windward  coast.  The  "White  Wall" 
is  900  feet  high,  "Signal  Hill"  750,  and  Orange  itself  is  well 
above  the  shore,  the  top  of  the  old  church  tower  being  175 
feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea.  Fort  Orange,  where  the 
flag  of  the  Netherlands  waves,  is  300  feet  above  sea  level,  and 
from  its  parapet  is  outspread  a  noble  view  of  sea  and  cliff- 
lined  shore.  Ruined  warehouses  line  the  strand  beneath  the 
town,  where  the  sea-waves  beat,  above  which  fly  swift- 
winged  tropic  birds  that  have  their  homes  in  the  northern 
cliffs,  whence  they  make  long  journeys  out  over  the  ocean. 

General  Information.  Abandoned  plantations  are  to  be 
had  "for  a  song"  in  Statia,  and  it  would  seem  strange  if, 
in  an  island  formerly  celebrated  for  its  fertility,  many  spots 
could  not  still  be  found  that  would  reward  the  enterprising 
planter.  The  island  no  longer  produces  sugar-cane  in 
quantity,  the  chief  productions  at  present  being  live  stock, 
sweet  potatoes,  yams,  etc.,  and  all  sugar  now  used  here  is 
imported.  This  doubtless  is  the  result  of  adverse  condi- 
tions artificially  produced,  and  not  owing  to  lack  of  fertility 
in  the  soil.  Recent  experiments  have  shown  that  the  long- 
staple  Sea-Island  cotton  will  do  well  here,  and  also,  it  is 
believed,  tropical  fruits  like  limes  and  oranges,  which  have 
proved  so  profitable  in  other  islands.  As  Statia  is  nearer 
to  the  United  States  than  either  Montserrat  or  Dominica, 
where  the  lime  has  been  grown  successfully  for  many  years, 
and  has  yielded  largely,  there  is  no  reason  apparent  why  this 
fruit  should  not  prove  remunerative. 


JJ 


w 


VIRGIN  ISLANDS  335 

Under  the  paternal  Dutch  Government,  Statia's  resident 
population  is  taxed  very  lightly;  export  and  import  duties 
are  only  5  to  7  per  cent,  ad  valorem ;  labour  is  at  a  very  low 
figure,  abundant,  and  fairly  reliable;  and  finally,  there  is  no 
more  healthful  climate  in  the  world.  The  conditions  here  are 
paradisiacal  for  a  life  of  ease  and  isolation,  and  provided 
the  latter  can  be  endured,  no  other  place  could  be  more 
highly  recommended. 

Hotels  and  Boarding-Houses.  There  are  no  hotels  and 
only  two  boarding-houses,  but  rates  are  low,  about  $10 
per  week,  and  no  pains  are  spared  to  make  the  visitor  com- 
fortable. The  boarding-house  kept  by  Mrs.  Southern,  in 
the  town  of  Orange,  is  recommended  by  the  American  Con- 
sular Agent,  J.  G.  C.  Every,  Esq.,  who  so  creditably  repre- 
sents the  United  States  in  Saint  Eustatius. 

Ccmmunication  is  carried  on  vv^ith  other  islands  by  sail- 
ing vessels  (as  already  mentioned),  and  connection  made 
with  steamers  for  the  United  States  through  St.  Kitts.  The 
only  steamer  touching  here  is  the  government  vessel  from 
Curaqao,  once  a  month,  from  St.  Thomas  and  return,  via 
St.  Kitts.  St.  Martin,  and  Saba. 


SAINT  KITTS 

The  Island  of  Saint  Christopher,  locally  contracted,  and 
corrupted  to  Saint  Kitts,  is  one  of  the  most  highly  cultivated 
in  the  Lesser  Antilles — speaking  agriculturally — and  yet  it 
is  almost  as  poverty-stricken  as  the  most  sterile  of  the  chain. 
This  is  owing,  not  to  the  lack  of  fertile  soil,  for  it  is  here 
in  vast  depth  and  variety,  but  to  an  over-popirlation  by  that 
West  Indian  parasite,  the  ubiquitous  negro.  To  say  that  it 
was  discovered  by  Columbus,  is  only  to  repeat  what  is  self- 
evident,  since  the  great  navigator,  with  unique  modesty, 
called  the  island  after  himself,  prefixing  the  "Saint,"  pre- 
sumably to  indicate  the  canonization  which  his  prescient 
gaze  beheld  in  store  for  him. 

It  is  one  of  the  few  islands  entirely  surrounded  by  a  really 
good  road,  which  may  be  traversed  at  ease  in  carriage  or 
automobile,  provided  the  latter  can  be  found  in  the  island. 
Carriages  are  always  obtainable  at  Basse  Terre,  the  chief 
port,  in  the  harbour  of  which  is  the  finest  of  boating  and 
fishing.  Saint  Kitts  is  only  68  or  70  square  mifes  in  area, 
and  much  of  that  is  "set  on  end,"  with  a  big  mountain  in  the 
middle  and  cultivable  land  surrounding  it  on  every  side. 
This  big  mountain  is  an  extinct  or.  at  any  rate,  a  quiescent 
volcano,  nearly  4,000  feet  in  height,  and  with  a  crater  inside 
its  hollow  peak  that  still  contains  sulphur  vents  and  steam- 
ing fumaroles.  It  is  called  Mount  Misery,  and  may  be  as- 
cended without  great  effort  from  Sandy  Point,  a  coast  set- 
tlement about  10  miles  to  the  north  of  Basse  Terre. 

Mount  Misery  and  its  Crater.  The  great  and  only  vol- 
cano of  Saint  Kitts  may  be  ascended  from  either  the  east 
coast  or  the  west.  The  writer  has  made  both  ascents,  but 
prefers  that  from  Sandy  Point,  by  which,  also,  the  crater 
is  accessible.  Sandy  Point  of  itself  has  hardly  an  excuse 
for  existing,  save  that  it  is  an  outlet  for  the  sugar  estates, 
which  ring  the  island  round  with"  belts  of  green  and  golden 
cane.  But  it  is  a  fine  place  to  go  fishing  from,  and  may  be 
of   interest   to   visit   for   an   hour   or   so — not   more — as   the 


SAINT  KITTS  2Z7 

generic  sights  of  Sandy  Point  are  duplicated  elsewhere  in 
negro  huts  and  shanties,  narrow  lanes  and  shop-lined  path- 
ways. The  distance  one  may  ride  toward  the  mountain 
summit  is  about  7  miles,  to  what  is  called  the  "Sir  Gillis' 
Estate,"  where  the  horse  is  left  in  pasture,  and  the  remainder 
of  the  ascent  generally  made  on  foot.  A  guide  is  necessary, 
but  may  be  easily  found  in  Sandy  Point,  as  that  place  derives 
its  water  from  springs  far  up  the  mountain-side,  and  the 
crater  is  well  known  to  the  coast  inhabitants.  It  is  a  matter 
merely  of  stiff  climbing  and  persistent  effort,  as  the  trail  is 
visible  all  the  way.  It  leads  one  through  cool  and  pleasant 
High  Woods,  beneath  tree  ferns  and  mountain  palms,  until 
finally  it  reaches  the  ridge  around  the  crater,  turning  which 
the  descent  begins  into  the  "bowl."  The  distance  from 
crater-brim  to  the  bottom  of  the  basin  is  about  700  feet  per- 
pendicular, and  at  times  the  path  is  exceedingly  steep.  Great 
trees  line  the  walls  in  places,  and  again  they  are  sheer  preci- 
pices, with  their  faces  stained  by  fumes  of  sulphur  belched 
from  the  fumaroles  below.  Sometimes  there  is  a  small  pond 
at  the  bottom  of  the  crater,  but  at  others  it  is  dry,  though  at 
all  times  the  atmosphere  is  strongly  impregnated  with  a 
smell  of  sulphur  from  a  steaming  pool  at  the  base  of  the 
cliffs. 

Brimstone  Hill.  The  view  from  the  summit  of  Misery 
is  beautiful  beyond  the  power  of  mere  words  to  paint,  and 
is  a  complement  to  that  from  the  Soufriere  of  Guadeloupe, 
though  perhaps  including  a  wider  range  of  islands,  south  and 
north.  Snuggling  under  the  leeward  .slope  of  Mount  Misery, 
on  the  Caribbean  side,  is  famous  "Brimstone  Hill."  crowned 
by  a  fortress  erected  in  the  years  when  French  and  English 
were  fighting  for  possession  here.  Millions  sterling  were 
expended  upon  this  fortress,  .which  became  so  strong  that 
it  was  known  as  the  "Gibraltar  of  the  West  Indies,"  and 
soldiers  were  garrisoned  here  for  many  years.  It  is  cer- 
tainly entitled  to  the  appellation  of  "Gibraltar,"  but  un- 
fortunately it  commands  no  strait  or  passage  of  importance, 
like  its  namesake,  and  as  the  French  left  the  island  for  good 
and  all  more  than  a  century  ago.  the  place  has  fallen  into 
ruin.  The  only  inhabitants  at  present  of  the  fortress  on 
Brimstone    Hill    arc    the    wild    monkeys,    with    which    the 


338  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST   INDIES 

forests  above  abound,  as  they  occasionally  stray  to  the  low- 
lands. Good  monkey-hunting,  by  the  way,  may  be  had  in 
the  great  forests  that  surround  Mount  Misery;  but  the 
animals  are  so  exceedingly  shy  that  few  of  them  are  ever 
shot.  Almost  any  sugar  planter  living  on  the  slopes  of  the 
mountain  can  put  one  in  the  way  of  gratifying  a  desire  for 
slaying  a  simian,  or,  at  least,  can  direct  him  to  the  animals' 
haunts,  which  are  in  the  High  Woods  generally,  with  fre- 
quent  forays    into    the   plantations. 

Saint  Kitts'  Capital,  Basse  Terre.  The  chief  port  of 
Saint  Kitts,  Basse  Tcrrc,  bears  witness  in  its  name  of  the 
one-time  residence  here  of  the  French,  with  whom  the 
English  long  contended.  The  island  has  been  called  the 
"Mother  of  the  English  West  Indies,"  since  the  first  settle- 
ment in  the  Antilles  by  men  of  English  nationality  was  be- 
gun here.  It  is  a  moot  question  between  Saint  Kitts  and 
Barbados  which  was  settled  first;  but  the  latter  island  can 
boast,  however,  as  the  former  cannot,  that  it  has  been  an 
English  colony  ever  since  its  settlement,  in  1625.  Many  bat- 
tles have  been  fought  here,  on  land  and  off  the  coast,  at  first 
with  the  Caribs,  then  with  the  buccaneers,  who  formed  a 
colony  which  w^as  broken  up  by  the  Spaniards  in  1630.  In 
the  eighteenth  century  wars  between  the  French  and  English 
there  were  several  naval  encounters  off  the  leeward  shore. 
In  1782,  for  instance,  the  French  invaded  the  island,  and  the 
Marquis  de  Bouille  (subsequently  so  noted  in  the  French 
Revolution)  with  8,000  troops,  assisted  by  the  Count  de  Grasse 
with  2g  ships  of  the  line,  attacked  the  English  garrison  of 
only  1,000  men,  and  compelled  a  surrender.  A  year  later, 
by  the  Peace  of  Versailles,  the  island  was  restored  to  Great 
Britain,  in  whose  possession  it  has  since  remained. 

The  tomb  of  Sir  Thomas  Warner,  who  made  the  first  set- 
tlement on  the  island,  in  1623,  may  still  be  seen  at  Middle 
Island  Church,  where  the  inscription  reads:  "An  Epitaph 
upon  the  most  Honourable,  Noble  and  much  Lamented  Gent. 
Sir  Thos.  Warner,  Kt._,  Lieutenant  General  of  ye  Caribbee 
Islands  and  Governor  of  ye  Island  of  St.  Christ,  Who  de- 
parted this  Life  the  loth  of  March,  1648."  Then  follows  an 
extended  eulogy  of  Sir  Thomas,  with  a  recountal  of  his 
many  noble  deeds.     The  churchyards  of  St.  Kitts  will  well 


SAINT  KITTS  339 

repay  examination  by  an  antiquarian,  and  the  circuit  of  them 
all  may  be  made  in  a  day. 

The  total  population  of  the  island  is  30.000,  and  of  the  capi- 
tal, Basse  Terre,  about  10,000.  This  city  is  not  the  most 
healthful  in  the  islands,  but  from  November  to  May  or  June 
is  safe  to  live  in.  In  truth,  the  residents,  white*  as  well  as 
black,  seem  to  sufifer  little  from  endemic  diseases,  and  the 
writer  has  known  some  of  them  (at  this  writing  still  in 
health)    for  nearly  thirty  years. 

The  attractions  of  Basse  Terre  are  few  indeed,  consisting 
of  a  botanical  garden  centrally  located,  Pall  Mall  Square; 
some  great  palms  and  ceiba  trees ;  the  court  house,  church, 
library,  local  club,  the  Brighton  sugar-works,  as  well  as 
others  of  the  kind  ;  the  elevation  back  of  the  town  known 
as  Monkey  Hill;  and  the  objects  already  mentioned.  But 
the  island,  taken  as  a  whole,  possesses  a  fascination  difficult 
to  explain,  and  yet  sufficiently  evident  to  one  who  loves  the 
grand  and  beautiful  in  nature.  Basse  Terre  is  unendurable 
as  a  place  of  long  residence;  but  through  it  one  may  reach 
the  interesting  country  on  the  windward  and  leeward  coasts, 
with  their  great  plantations  running  from  the  seashore  up 
and  into  the  forests  on  the  mountain-side. 

There  are  a  few  hotels  and  boarding-houses,  as  the  "New- 
stead,"  Mrs.  France's,  "Waterloo  House,"  the  "Park," 
Mrs.  Syder's  and  Mrs.  Mondesire's,  all  with  terms  about 
$2  per  day.  Furnished  houses  can  be  rented  in  advance,  and 
bicycles  hired  at  50  cents  an  hour.  For  carriages  :  a  Vic- 
toria and  pair  around  the  island  (30  miles,  following  the 
coast-line  north  of  Basse  Terre),  $12  per  day,  for  party  of 
four  or  five,  or  10  shillings  an  hour ;  buggies  for  two  per- 
sons. $1  per  hour ;  special  arrangements  for  four  persons  in 
carriage,  at  60  cents  per  mile.  Like  most  of  the  English 
islands,  St.  Kitts  uses  the  antiquated  English  currency,  but 
vastly  prefers  the  American  as,  indeed,  most  of  the  business 
is  with  the  United  States  and  comparatively  little  with 
England.  There  has  been  a  strong  sentiment  in  favour  of 
closer  commercial  and  political  connection  with  the  United 
States,  on  account  of  a  community  of  interests,  which  does 
not  exist  between  St.  Kitts  and  Great  Britain. 

Steamers  and  Fares.     Halifax  and  St.   Kitts,  via  Ber- 


340  A  GUIDE  TO   THE   WEST   INDIES 

mudas,  the  "Pickford  and  Black"  Line,  every  month,  rate  one 
way,  $50;  return.  $90. 

New  York  and  St.  Kitts :  the  "Quebec  Line,"  every  ten 
days,  one  way,  $50 ;   return.  $90. 

"Royal  Alail,"  New  York  and  St.  Kitts,  one  way.  $110.  via 
Barbados  and  through  the  islands. 

Frequent  connection,  by  the  intercolonial  service  of  the 
"Royal  -\Iail,"  with  other  islands  of  the  chain  and  Demerara. 

The  Kittefonian  planters  were  among  the  most  hospitable 
people  of  the  earth,  but  the  drop  in  price  of  their  chief  com- 
modity, sugar,  may  now-  prevent  them  from  being  as  gener- 
ous as  they  would  like  to  be.  Through  them,  the  writer 
became  acquainted  with  insular  attractions  that  otherwise 
might  have  been  inaccessible,  such  as  the  fine  waterfall  above 
the  Wingfield  estate,  at  Old  Road,  which  is  nearly  100 
feet  in  height;  the  Carib  Rock,  with  its  quaint  carvings,  also 
to  be  found  there;  and,  at  ^Mount  Olivees,  "Lawyer 
Steven's  cave,"  from  the  mouth  of  which  is  a  magnificent 
view^  of  the  south  end  of  St.  Kitts,  Basse  Terre.  and  beautiful 
Nevis,  with  its  cloud-wreathed  mountain  rising  from  en- 
circling slopes  ringed  about  by  the  sea. 

One  of  the  finest  view^s  is  that  from  Monkey  Hill,  directly 
back  of  Basse  Terre.  which  includes  the  lovely  valley  in 
which  the  capital  is  set,  and  the  arid  hills  among  which 
gleams  like  a  pearl  the  interesting  Salt  Fund,  where  in  the 
season  excellent  shooting  may  be  had:  avosets,  pelicans, 
plover,  and  other  w-ater-birds.  All  over  the  island  range  the 
ubiquitous  wild  monkeys,  even  in  the  region  about  the  Salt 
Pond  (reached  by  boat  from  Basse  Terre),  where  there  is 
little  "cover"  to  shield  them  from  the  hunter.  The  big 
forests,  however,  are  preferred  by  the  monkeys  as  their 
haunts ;  and  they  are  said  to  make  use  of*  a  subterranean 
passage  beneath  the  sea  channel  between  St.  Kitts  and  Nevis, 
to  range  from  one  island  to  the  other. 

The  photographs  from  which  illustrations  are  presented  of 
Saint  Kitts  and  Nevis  were  made  by  IMr.  A.  ]\Ioure  Losada, 
Basse  Terre,  who  has  a  w-ell-deserved  reputation  for  excellent 
work. 

Nevis.  Discovered  by  Columbus,  on  his  second  voyage, 
1493,  this  island  was  called  by  him  Nicz'C — a  word  signifying 


NEVIS  341 

snow,  or  snowy,  from  the  white  clouds  which  hung  about  the 
summit  of  its  single  mountain.  This  mountain  is  one  of  the 
most  nearly  perfect  things  to  be  seen  in  nature,  symmetrical 
from  sea-washed  base  to  cloud-capped  peak,  which  rises  to 
an  altitude  of  3.500  feet.  The  island  is  an  oval,  only  50 
square  miles  in  area,  or  about  32,000  acres,  of  which  less 
than  half  are  under  cultivation.  It's  a  most  beautiful  island, 
fit  to  be  the  abode  of  the  highest  civilisation ;  but  we  are 
compelled  to  say  of  its  population,  as  of  so  many  others  in 
this  part  of  the  world,  that  the  major  portion  is  of  African 
descent !  This  means  ignorance  and  apathy,  ruined  estates, 
neglected  opportunities,  an  aspect  of  desolation,  where  there 
should  be  brisk  life  and  animation. 

Hot  Springs  and  Sulphur  Baths.  Nature  has  done  much 
for  Nevis,  but  man  vitiated  it  all  by  bringing  hither  the 
African,  who  at  first  was  useful  on  the  sugar  estates,  but 
since  emancipation  has  been  detrimental  to  every  great  in- 
terest here  and  elsewhere.  The  port  of  Charlestown  is  a 
pleasant  place,  but  chiefly  occupied  by  the  blacks,  who  swarm 
everywhere.  It  is  situated  11  miles  distant  from  Basse 
Terre  in  St.  Kitts.  and  between  the  two  places  an  active 
communication  is  kept  up  by  means  of  sailing  packets.  No 
passenger  steamers  touch  here,  except  some  on  excursion 
tours,  though  the  "cargo  boats"  come  here  for  sugar  in  the 
harvest  season.  Charlestown  is  on  the  west  or  leeward 
shore,  and  the  sea  opposite  is  calm,  good  for  boating  on  and 
fishing  in.  North  of  the  town  the  ruins  of  a  submerged 
city  may  be  seen,  near  shore,  beneath  the  surface  of  the  sea. 
This  city,  then  the  capital  of  Nevis,  was  known  as  James- 
town, and  was  a  flourishing  place.  On  April  30,  1680,  about 
twelve  years  before  Port  Royal,  Jamaica,  was  destroyed  in 
a  similar  manner,  it  was  visited  by  an  earthquake,  and 
slipped  into  the  sea,  carrying  with  it  all  its  riches  and  its 
population. 

Quite  near  the  landing  place  and  Charlestown  is  a  thermal 
stream  of  some  proportions,  fed  by  numerous  springs  im- 
pregnated with  sulphur  and  silicates.  These  waters  are 
famous  for  their  efficacy  in  chronic  diseases,  like  rheuma- 
tism and  gout,  also  for  their  sedative  action  in  fevers, 
people  tell  us.     They  were  once  conducted  into  an  ambitious 


342  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST   INDIES 

structure  near  a  cocoa  grove,  the  ruins  of  which  only  exist 
at  present,  erected  nearly  lOO  years  ago,  as  set  forth  in  an 
epitaph  on  the  founder's  tombstone.  The  building  is  oc- 
cupied by  squalid  families  of  blacks;  but  one  should  climb 
to  the  parapet  of  the  castellated  structure  for  the  beautiful 
view  afforded  o-f  Nevis  and  St.  Kitts. 

Nevis  is  a  healthful  island,  with  about  the  same  tempera- 
ture, at  the  same  elevation,  as  all  the  others  have — that  is, 
all  the  mountainous  islands — ranging  from  60  degrees  aloft 
in  the  hills  to  90  along  the  shore  in  the  calms  between  the 
breezes.  Other  springs,  not  only  impregnated  with  sulphur, 
but  crystal  clear,  gush  forth  in  the  hills,  and  supply  Charles- 
town  with  potable  water,  as  well  as  the  entire  southern  por- 
tion of  the  island.  It  was  not  always  that  poor  Nevis  was 
so  black  as  to  its  population ;  and  even  now,  on  meeting  some 
of  the  few  white  planters  and  merchants  resident  here,  one 
will  surely  declare  that  she  is  not  so  black  as  she  is  painted. 
They  are  most  hospitable,  and  some  of  them — as  also  the 
tombstones  in  the  cemetery — bear  names  of  famous  families 
who  came  here  after  the  defeat  of  the  royalists  by  Cromwell. 
The  island  was  colonized  about  the  same  time  as  St.  Kitts, 
or  a  little  later,  between  1625  and  1630.  In  1710  there  was 
an  invasion  by  the  French,  with  a  consequent  money  loss  of 
half  a  million  sterling,  and  following  this  came  earthquake 
and  drought,  by  which  the  island  was  reduced  to  extremi- 
ties. Many  of  the  leading  families  emigrated  to  North 
America  in  and  after  1737,  on  account  of  an  unprecedented 
drought  and  blight,  which  caused  widespread  ruin. 

Famous  Men  of  Nevis.  Nevis  is  fortunate  in  having  had 
scant  material  for  a  histor}'-,  which  is  an  assurance  that  its 
annals  were  mostly  those  of  peaceful  occurrences.  Few  of 
its  people  have  become  famous ;  but  there  are  two  names  of 
world-wide  fame  with  which  the  island  is  associated.  One 
name  is  that  of  Alexander  Hamilton,  one-time  statesman; 
the  other  that  of  Horatio  Nelson — and  who  he  was  the 
world  does  not  need  to  be  told.  Hamilton  was  born  in 
Nevis,  the  son  of  a  Scotchman  and  a  Frenchwoman,  Janu- 
ary II,  1757,  and  lived  here  until  eleven  years  of  age,  when 
he  went  to  Santa  Cruz,  and  thence  to  the  land  known  as  the 
United  States.     The  house  in  which  he  was  born  is  now  in 


u 


NEVIS  343 

ruins;  but  these  may  be  seen  on  a  hill  not  far  from  Charles- 
town,  and  a  guide  may  be  readily  obtained  in  the  town. 

Of  still  greater  interest  to  many  is  the  fact  that  Lord  Nel- 
son, then  captain  of  his  Majesty's  ship  Boreas,  was  married 
to  a  widow,  while  on  a  visit  to  this  island.  The  ceremony 
took  place  March  ii,  1787,  in  quaint  old  "Fig-tree  Church," 
as  set  forth  in  the  marriage  register,  which  is  kept  on  view 
there  in  a  case  wuth  a  glass  cover:  "iy8/,  Mar.  11.  Horatio 
Nelson,  Esq.,  Captain  of  .H.M.S.  the  Boreas,  to  Frances 
Herbert  Nisbet,  ividow." 

In  the  churchyard  adjacent  to  Fig-tree  Church  are  some 
quaint  epitaphs,  dating  from  an  early  period  of  the  island's 
history  as  a  colonial  possession.  The  church  is  an  attractive 
little  structure,  about  2  miles  from  the  town,  accessible  by  a 
good  road.  Considering  the  hilly  nature  of  the  island,  the 
coast  roads  are  very  good,  and  as  "American  buggies"  can 
be  hired  in  Charlestown  (at  50  cents  per  hour),  no  better 
means  can  offer  of  seeing  the  island.  The  forest-covered 
mountain,  with  its  foothills  fringed  with  mango  groves,  is 
the  home  of  wild  monkeys,  which  are  hunted,  here  and  in 
St.  Kitts,  for  the  "sport,"  as  well  as  for  their  flesh,  which  is 
highly  esteemed.  For  a  more  extended  description  of  Nevis, 
see  Ober's  IVest  Indian  Neighbors  and  Stoddard's  Cruising 
among  the  Caribbees. 

A  Little  Round  Island.  The  tourist  will  not  be  likely 
to  visit  Redonda  ;  but  this  fact  does  not  excuse  the  writer 
from  making  mention  of  it,  small  as  it  is  and  poor  as  it  is. 
It  appears  scarcely  more  than  a  rock  pinnacle  rising  above 
the  sea  between  Nevis  and  Montserrat,  but  it  is  a  mile  and 
a  half  in  length  by  a  mile  in  breadth,  wath  an  altitude  of 
1,000  feet.  The  Spaniards  called  it  Redonda,  or  the  Round 
Island,  from  its  shape;  but  they  never  made  a  settle- 
ment there,  though  the  present  population  is  about  120. 
The  people  are  nearly  all  black  labourers,  who  work  the 
phosphate  of  alumina  mines,  for  which  alone  Redonda  is 
valuable.  For  the  privilege  of  working  these  mines  the 
Redonda  Phosphate  Company  pays  the  British  Govern- 
ment, as  represented  in  Antigua  (under  which  Redonda  is 
a  dependency),  12  cents  a  ton  royalty.  About  7,000  tons  of 
the    mineral    are    annually   exported    to   the   United    States, 


344  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST   INDIES 

which  amount  is  produced  by  about  lOO  black  men,  under 
a   white   superintendent,    who   guides   their   operations. 

Montserrat.  Nearly  two-thirds  of  little  Montserrat  are 
mountainous,  and  a  goodly  portion  of  the  other  third  is  de- 
voted to  the  culture  of  limes.  The  island  is  only  ii  miles 
long  by  7  at  its  widest,  with  area  32  square  miles,  inhabited 
by  about  13,500  people,  most  of  whom  are  black,  brown  or 
yellow-skinned.  Montserrat  was  so  named  by  Columbus, 
after  the  celebrated  monastery  and  mountain  of  that  name  in 
Spain.  He  discovered  it  on  his  second  voyage,  1493.  It  is 
mountainous,  healthful,  and  beautiful,  yet  is  little  visited, 
owing  to  the  scarcity  of  good  accommodations  .and  infre- 
quency  of  boats  to  the  island.  Those  of  the  "Royal  Mail" 
touch  there  and  sometimes  an  excursion  steamer ;  but  not 
often  is  the  tranquil  life  of  the  islanders  broken  in  upon  by 
strangers.  The  chief  object  of  interest  is  the  Soufriere,  or 
Sulphur  Mountain,  with  its  quiescent,  if  not  extinct,  crater, 
containing  solfataras  and  all  the  accessories  of  a  volcano 
that  has  ended  its  active  career. 

To  illustrate  the  wildness  of  the  mountain  region  and  its 
infrequent  invasion  by  travellers,  the  writer  may  mention 
that  in  1880  he  discovered  in  its  forests  a  new  species  of 
bird  (named  by  the  naturalists  Icterus  Oheri).  Small  as  it 
is,  Montserrat  presents  a  host  of  attractions  to  the  naturalist 
and  lover  of  nature,  and  as  the  roads  are  good,  the  trails 
accessible,  and  the  natives  always  ready  to  serve  as  guides 
for  a  few  shillings,  one  might  do  worse  than  to  drop  off 
there,  at  least  over  a  steamer-trip.  The  chief  town  is  Ply- 
mouth, a  ramshackle  place  of  stone  and  wooden  houses, 
with  a  very  attractive  location,  but  without  architectural 
pretensions.  There  is  no  good  hotel  here,  but  very  good 
board  and  lodging  can  be  obtained  at  Cocoanut  Hill,  on  a 
pleasant  site  overlooking  the  town  and  the  sea.  This  house 
is  the  residence  of  the  steamship  agent,  Mr.  D,  Johnson, 
whose  charge  for  entertainment  is  $2  per  day,  with  accommo- 
dations for  ten  people.  The  island  boasts  a  tennis  club  and 
contains  a  small  but  select  society  of  white  residents  of 
English  or  Irish  extraction. 

Irish-speaking  Negroes.  As  some  of  the  original  set- 
tlers  (about  1630-40)   were  Irish,  who  took  vigorous  root  in* 


MONTSERRAT  345 

the  soil  of  Montserrat,  some  of  their  descendants  speak 
English  with  a  brogue  to-day.  At  least,  some  of  the  negroes 
do,  and  the  discovery  of  this  fact  by  a  would-be  immigrant 
from  the  "Emerald  Isle,"  when  being  rowed  ashore,  gave 
him  such  a  shock  that  he  immediately  returned  to  the  ship 
and  home.  "Bedad,"  he  said,  "that  Irishman  had  been  here 
only  tin  years,  he  towld  me ;  and  by  the  powers,  he  was  as 
black  as  me  hat !" 

Plymouth,  of  course,  is  on  the  leeward  coast  of  the  island, 
as  the  windward  shores  are  pounded  by  the  rough  Atlantic 
waves.  The  hills  and  mountains  crowd  it  closely,  and  thus 
the  most  attractive  region  is  right  at  hand.  The  lime 
groves,  which  furnish  the  greater  portion  of  the  island's 
revenues,  since  sugar  cultivation  has  been  practically 
abandoned,  are  mostly  in  the  hills,  and  are  delightful  re- 
treats. Lime  cultivation  here  has  been  carried  on  longer, 
and  perhaps  more  successfully,  than  in  any  other  island  of 
the  West  Indies,  "Montserrat  lime  juice"  being  famous 
throughout  the  world.  The  highest  mountain  is  3,000  feet, 
though  the  Soufriere — the  crater — is  at  a  lesser  altitude, 
and  its  hot  springs  are  very  accessible.  Hills  and  mountains 
are  well  wooded  and  their  deep  ravines  lined  with  a  glorious 
vegetation.  The  temperature  ranges  from  about  70  degrees 
to  85,  depending  upon  altitude  and  season. 

Chronology.  Briefly  stated,  the  history  of  Montserrat 
is  this :  Discovered  by  Columbus,  1493 ;  settled  by  English, 
1632;  taken  by  French,  1664;  retaken  by  English,  1668; 
French  again,  1782;  finally  English,  1784,  and  ever  since  a 
British  colony. 

Steamer  Connections.  New  York,  by  "Royal  Mail,"  via 
Barbados ;  fare,  $105  ;  return,  $193. 

"Pickford  and  Black,"  from  Halifax,  one  way,  $50;  return, 
$90. 


ANTIGUA 

Topography,  etc.  Antigua  is  one  of  the  important  islands 
in  the  Caribbean  group,  containing,  as  it  does,  the  gov- 
ernmental headquarters  of  the  Leeward  Islands,  which 
consist  of  St.  Kitts,  Nevis,  Barbuda,  ]Montserrat,  Dominica, 
Anguilla,  and  the  Virgin  Islands.  Five  presidencies 
make  up  the  Leeward  federal  colony,  each  of  which  has 
an  administrator,  or  commissioner,  with  a  governor-in- 
chief,  who  resides  in  Antigua.  The  island  is  about  70  miles 
in  circumference,  with  an  area  of  108  square  miles,  and 
of  its  68,900  acres,  nearly  20.000  are  under  cultivation,  mostly 
in  sugar-cane.  Differing  from  the  islands  south  of  and 
around  it,  geologically  as  well  as  in  superficial  aspect, 
Antigua  is  comparatively  level,  with  rolling  fields,  few  hills, 
no  mountains,  and  few  forests.  Yet  it  has  a  beauty  of  its 
own,  in  secluded  valleys  opening  inward  from  sand-bordered 
bays,  and  such  harbours  as  Saint  John's,  Parham,  and  Eng- 
lish Harbour.  There  is,  indeed,  little  else  to  see  here,  except 
the  sugar  mills  and  plantations;  but  there  are  many  miles 
of  good  roads  fit  for  driving  and  cycling,  beaches  for  bathing, 
and  in  the  centre  of  the  island  a  valley  of  petrifactions,  where 
fine  specimens  of  silicified  wood  may  be  had  by  the  cart- 
load. 

The  capital  of  the  island  is  Saint  John's,  containing  about 
10.000  inhabitants,  most  of  whom  are  black  or  coloured.  The 
Antiguans  have  embarked  nearly  all  their  capital  in  the 
cultivation  of  cane,  and  the  thin  soil  requires  so  much  to 
enrich  it  properly  in  foreign  fertilisers  that  the  planters 
rarely  "make  both  ends  meet,"  and  seem  to  have  abandoned 
all  hope  of  making  fortunes.  They  have  made  a  brave  fight 
in  the  past,  and  some  made  fortunes ;  but  of  late,  despite 
assistance  from  the  home  government  and  scientific  methods 
of  cultivation,  their  path  has  led  backward. 

Sights  and  Scenes.  There  are  few  things  out  of  the 
ordinary  to  be  seen  here,  but  for  rather  pretty  views  of 
country    and    shore,    one    should    take    the    trip    around    the 


o 


ANTIGUA  347 

island.  Carriage  hire  is  not  expensive,  as  a  buggy  with 
one  horse  can  be  obtained  for  25  cents  per  mile,  and  a  two- 
horse  carriage,  with  awning,  large  enough  for  four,  at 
36  cents  each  per  mile.  On  the  opposite  side  of  the  island 
from  St.  John's  is  an  abandoned  naval  station,  English 
Harbour,  where  a  single  sentry  guards  the  gateway  through 
which  at  one  time  entered  hundreds  of  workmen  engaged  in 
the  dockyard,  which  the  British  Government  created  here. 
Better  places  for  boating  and  fishing  could  scarcely  be 
found  than  the  harbours  of  Parhani  and  St.  John's.  The 
former  is  on  the  north  side  of  the  island,  and  very  pic- 
turesque, as  is  the  latter  also.  Steamers  arriving  at 
St.  John's  are  obliged  to  anchor  several  miles  from  shore, 
owing  to  shallow  water  at  the  entrance.  The  government 
expended  nearly  $200,000  not  many  years  ago  in  dredging 
a  channel,  but  gave  up  the  effort  before  anything  of  impor- 
tance was  accomplished. 
The  city  is  well  laid  out,  with  a  small  park,  some  good  gov- 
ernment buildings,  and  a  large  and  handsome  Anglican 
cathedral,  in  which  many  island  worthies  are  buried.  There 
is  a  good  library  and  reading-room,  and  just  outside  the  city 
are  golf  links  and  tennis  courts.  Whatever  of  attractiveness 
the  city  might  possess  is  marred  by  the  hovels  in  which  the 
blacks  reside,  sandwiched  between  dwellings  of  the  better 
class,  and  numerous  on  every  street.  Altogether,  in  spite 
of  the  brave  efforts  of  the  few  white  inhabitants,  St.  John's 
presents  an  aspect  of  decadence.  This  is  the  more  lamentable 
from  the  fact  that  here  resided  at  one  time  a  sturdy  English 
population,  only  a  remnant  of  which  is  left.  The  city  is 
supplied  with  water  from  reservoirs  in  the  country,  on 
Gray's  Hill,  and  there  is  another  reservoir,  built  by  the 
government  at  a  cost  of  $25,000,  at  Walling's,  10  miles  dis- 
tant inland,  for  the  purpose  of  supplying  the  country  districts 
in  time  of  drought.  There  are  few  springs  or  streams  in  the 
island,  and  droughts  sometimes  occur  which  ruin  the  crops. 
At  such  times  water  has  been  sold  by  the  gallon  in  the 
streets.  Notwithstanding  the  lack  of  water,  at  times,  an 
attractive  tropical  vegetation  flourishes  here,  which  may  be 
seen  at  its  best  in  the  beautiful  Botanical  Station,  and  at 
"Bendall's,"  a  most  picturesque  sugar  estate. 


348  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST   INDIES 

There  is  one  hotel,  the  "Central";  but  lodgings  can  be 
obtained,  as  also  houses  for  rent,  in  the  best  part  of  the 
city.  The  fishing  in  the  harbour  is  good,  and  outside  some 
tarpon  may  be  caught  by  experts,  for  they  are  certainly 
there.  In  the  winter  there  is  fairly  good  plover  and  duck 
shooting. 

Chronological  Notes.  Antigua  was  discovered  by  Co- 
lumbus, 1493.  Colonisation  was  attempted  by  the  Spaniards, 
and  also  by  the  French,  but  the  first  permanent  colony  was 
established  by  the  English,  under  Sir  Thomas  Warner's  direc- 
tion, in  1632.  The  island  was  already  occupied  by  the  Caribs, 
who  resented  this  intrusion  of  their  domain,  and  at  one  time, 
in  1640,  a  Carib  chief  kidnapped  the  governor's  wife  and 
took  her  to  Dominica.  The  governor  hurried  in  pursuit  and 
recovered  his  wife,  but  later  became  suspicious  of  her  fidelity 
and  went  insane,  the  ancient  records  say.  In  the  history 
of  the  island  are  many  interpolations  by  hurricanes,  which 
have  devastated  it  repeatedly.  The  Indians,  though  driven 
from  the  island,  raided  it  frequently  until  near  the  close 
of  the  seventeenth  century,  when  a  son  of  Sir  Thomas 
Warner,  having  been  made  governor,  brought  the  raids  to 
an  end.  He  did  it  by  inviting  the  Caribs,  who  were  then 
commanded  by  his  half-brother,  a  half-breed  son  of  Sir 
Thomas,  to  a  feast,  when  his  men  fell  upon  and  slew  them 
all.  After  that  the  Antiguans  were  troubled  only  by  the 
French,  who  made  their  customary  attacks,  and  by  earth- 
quakes and  hurricanes ;  but  they  have  persisted  in  possession 
until  the  present  time,  maintaining  an  English  colony  almost 
as  old  as  that  of  Barbados,  though  it  has  not  been  nearly 
as   successful. 

Tourists  desiring  to  explore  St.  John's  Bay  can  usually 
secure  a  steam  launch  of  the  harbour  department  on  reason- 
able terms. 

Steam  Lines,  Fares,  etc.  "Royal  ]\Iail,"  from  New  York 
and  from  Southampton,  via  Barbados. 

"Quebec  Line,"  every  ten  days.  Fares :  Same  as  to  and 
from  St.  Kitts. 

"Pickford  and  Black,"  from  Halifax,  via  Bermuda  (about 
fifteen  days),  $50;  return,  $90. 


BARBUDA 

The  island  of  Barbuda  lies  about  30  miles  to  the  north  of 
Antigua,  under  the  government  of  which  it  is  included. 
Access  to  it  is  only  obtainable  by  sailing  craft,  and  as 
the  island  is  surrounded  by  dangerous  reefs  (which  in 
the  past  have  brought  many  vessels  to  destruction),  only 
expert  boatmen  should  be  employed,  who  may  be  found  at 
St.  John's.  The  island  is  low  and  flat,  area  about  75  square 
miles,  supporting  a  population  of  700  blacks  and  two  or 
three  whites.  The  blacks  are  descendants  of  the  slaves  intro- 
duced here  by  Colonel  Codrington,  who  had  a  grant  of  the 
island  in  the  eighteenth  century,  and  the  white  residents  are 
here  in  the  capacity  of  overseers  and  chaplain.  They  reside 
in  the  "great  house"  at  Codrington  Village,  which  is  the  only 
settlement  on  the  island.  The  Codringtons  once  lived  here 
in  baronial  style,  with  an  island  all  their  own,  and  besides 
populating  it  with  slaves  from  Africa,  also  introduced  fallow 
deer  from  England,  sheep,  cattle,  etc.,  all  which  ran  wild 
eventually,  so  that  Barbuda  is  well  stocked  with  game.  It 
is,  in  fact,  the  best,  if  not  the  only,  game  preserve  in  the 
West  Indies,  for  besides  the  above-named  animals,  there 
are  thousands  of  doves  and  pigeons,  plover,  and  aquatic 
fowl,  in  the  shooting  season.  The  wild  guinea  fowl  afford 
superb  sport,  being  abundant,  wild  as  hawks,  and  as  strong 
of  wing  and  swift  as  grouse. 

Codrington  village  consists  of  humble  huts  with  roofs  of 
thatch,  occupied  by  the  natives,  who  are  almost  as  near 
to  nature  (or,  in  other  words,  uncivilised)  as  in  Africa,  the 
home  of  their  ancestors.  All  labour  in  the  field,  and  the  men 
are  excellent  sailors  and  huntsmen,  with  fine  physique,  con- 
sidered superior  to  any  other  negroes  in  the  Leeward  group. 
Barbuda  is  private  property,  being  owned  by  the  descendants 
of  the  original  colonisers.  Their  agent  resides  in  Antigua  a 
portion  of  the  time,  and  from  him  must  be  obtained  per- 
mission to  hunt  on  the  island  as  well  as  to  land  there. 

An   African    Village.     The   blacks   of   Barbuda   have   only 


350  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST   INDIES 

squatter  rights  in  the  island,  and  are  not  allowed  to  gather 
wood  or  catch  game ;  yet  they  do  not  suffer  from  lack  of 
fuel  nor  fresh  meat  from  the  woods  and  old  fields.  Their 
village  consists  of  wattled  huts  thatched  with  palm-leaves, 
with  paths  between  them  scarcely  wide  enough  to  walk  in, 
so  closely  are  they  huddled  together.  It  has  been  called, 
by  one  who  saw  it,  "more  thoroughly  African  than  any  other 
village  in  the  New  World,"  the  huts  being  of  the  most 
primitive   type. 

There  are  no  springs  or  streams  in  the  island,  the  people 
depending  upon  rude  cisterns,  and  the  wild  animals  obtain- 
ing rain  water  caught  in  crevices  of  the  rocks.  The  soil  is 
thin,  and  covered  with  dense  thickets  of  chaparral,  where 
and  in  the  old  fields  (some  of  which  are  hundreds  of  acres 
in  extent,  and  surrounded  by  high  walls  made  in  slavery 
time)  roam  the  wild  animals.  The  laws  are  administered 
by  a  justice  of  the  peace,  assisted  by  a  school-teacher  and  the 
chaplain.  The  island  is  leased,  or  was  a  short  time  ago, 
by  a  Scotch  company,  which  derives  an  income  from  the 
native  sandal  wood,  deer  skins,  etc.  Lying  low  upon  the 
sea  and  entirely  reef  surrounded,  Barbuda  is  a  menace  to 
navigation  in  these  waters,  as  there  is  no  lighthouse  nor 
beacon  on  the  island.  It  lies  in  the  track  of  vessels  seeking 
to  enter  the  Caribbean  from  the  Atlantic,  and  anciently  was 
the  resort  of  pirates  and  buccaneers.  Ruins  of  an  old  fort, 
with  a  fine  Martello  tower,  are  near  the  landing-place,  and 
there  are  several  caves,  one  of  which  is  large  enough  to  serve 
as  a  shelter  for  a  band  of  lawless  men,  and  was  probably 
used  by  the  wreckers  when  they  plied  here  their  nefarious 
calling. 


Cascade,  Guadeloupe 


GUADELOUPE 

A  Magnificent  Island.  Two  islands  compose  Guadeloupe, 
one  grand  and  mountainous,  the  other  level  and  monotonous. 
The  mountainous  island  is  Guadeloupe  proper,  divided  from 
the  eastern  island,  which  is  called  Grande  Terre,  by  a  salt 
creek  known  as  the  Riviere  Salee.  Everything  here  is 
French — names  of  towns,  capes,  mountains,  bays ;  but  the 
islands  were  discovered  by  Christopher  Columbus,  a  Genoese 
sailing  under  the  flag  of  Spain,  in  1493.  There  are  other 
islands  also  embraced  in  the  group,  as  Marie  Galante,  named 
after  the  flagship  of  the  Spanish  fleet;  Desirade,  or  Deseada, 
the  "desired"  island,  first  seen  by  Columbus  on  his  second 
voyage,  and  the  Saintes;  in  all.  five  islands,  with  a  super- 
ficial area  of  650  square  miles  and  total  population  of 
175.000,  mostly  blacks.  This  has  been  the  usual  succession 
in  all  these  islands:  Discovered  by  the  Spaniards,  appropri- 
ated by  the  French.  Dutch.  Danish,  or  English,  and  finally 
all  but  abandoned  to  the  semi-barbarous  blacks  from  Africa. 
It  was  in  Guadeloupe  that  Columbus  first  saw  the  Carih 
natives  of  the  Lesser  Antilles,  whom  he  called  cannibals, 
from  evidences  of  their  man-eating  propensities  which  he 
fancied  he  found  in  the  largest  island  of  the  group.  For  the 
abandoned  huts  contained  smoked  joints  and  limbs  hanging 
from  their  rafters,  and  human  flesh  (he  said)  stewing  in 
earthen  pots  over  open  fires.  This  discovery  was  sufficient 
to  cause  Columbus  to  proclaim  the  natives  cannibals,  inas- 
much as  he  was  privileged  to  slay  and  make  slaves  of  such 
"pestiferous  vermin,"  while  he  was  forbidden  by  the  queen 
to  lay  hands  on  ordinary  Indians  not  guilty  of  this  barbarity. 
As  Columbus  was  "thrifty,"  he  intended  to  fill  up  his  ships 
with  slaves,  and  would  have  done  so,  only  that  the  Caribs 
objected,  and  being  extremely  savage,  successfully  blocked 
for  a  while  his  nefarious  scheme.  Columbus  had  an  eye 
for  beauty  as  well  as  to  profitable  ventures,  and  he  de- 
scribes the  glorious  scenery  of  the  great  mountains  with 
enthusiasm.     This  has  not  changed  in  all  the  centuries  since 


352  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST  INDIES 

he  came  here;  but  the  natives  have  long  since  disappeared, 
only  a  remnant  of  their  descendants  existing  in  the  neigh- 
bouring island  of  Dominica. 

Basse  Terre,  the  Capital.  English  and  American  steam- 
ers usually  touch  at  Basse  Terre  (population  9,000),  the 
capital  of  the  island  group,  and  the  French  vessels  at  Pointe 
a  Pitre,  which  is  the  commercial  centre,  and  situated  in  the 
Petit  Cul  de  Sac  of  Grande  Terre.  The  latter  has  a  sheltered 
harbour,  hot  and  unhealthy,  while  the  former  is  on  an  open 
roadstead,  small  boats  being  necessary  for  transfer  ashore. 
The  fare  is  only  a  franc,  and  the  shore  is  soon  reached, 
where  a  market-place  will  be  found  in  "full  blast,"  if  it  be 
morning,  filled  with  blacks  and  coloured  people  in  animated 
discussion  over  the  relative  merits  of  their  wares  and  the 
products  of  their  gardens,  which  they  have  brought  from 
the  hills  and  mountains  where  they  dwell. 

The  Frenchmen  who  first  settled  the  islands  came  here  to 
stay,  and  chose  the  best  points  for  their  settlements  here, 
as  in  Martinique,  picking  out  one  place  for  their  commercial 
entrepot  and  another  for  the  seat  of  government,  in  order 
that  there  might  be  a  general  distribution  of  the  wealth  and 
a  thorough  cultivation  of  the  soil.  And  they  built  roads, 
as  in  all  their  colonial  possessions,  far  surpassing  those  to 
be  found  in  the  English  islands,  opening  up  the  resources 
of  the  islands  to  rapid  development.  Though  the  hills  and 
mountains  come  right  down  near  the  coast,  every  point 
is  accessible  by  good  roads,  hard  as  rocks  and  smooth  as 
floors.  By  these  roads  we  have  no  difficulty  in  reaching  the 
garrison  and  government  buildings  in  the  upper  part  of 
Basse  Terre,  built  back  of  an  old  stone  fortress,  and  ad- 
vantageously located  between  two  beautiful  rivers.  They 
surround  three  sides  of  an  attractive  square,  with  a  fountain 
in  its  centre,  and  adorned  with  great  palmistes,  or  cabbage- 
palms.  Another  fountain  freshens  the  market-place,  where 
the  people  daily  gather  for  traffic,  and  this  is  surrounded 
with  tamarind  trees.  As  formerly  in  ill-fated  St.  Pierre, 
the  now-buried  city  of  Martinique,  spring-fed  streams  from 
the  mountains  supply  the  fountains,  around  which  gather 
women  and  children  with  great  jars  to  be  filled  with  potable 
water  for  the  households.     Not  far  away  is  the  cathedral, 


GUADELOUPE  353 

the  Basilique,  a  stone  structure  dating  from  the  time  of 
Pere  Labat,  who  came  here  as  a  missionary  in  1694.  The 
"Bellicose  White  Father,"  as  he  was  called,  was  one  of  the 
best  known  of  missionaries,  travelling  throughout  all  the 
islands  of  the  chain,  and  later  publishing  a  work  in  six 
volumes  (now  exceedingly  rare  and  valuable),  the  Noiiveau 
Voyage  aux  Isles  d'Auieriqiie,  in  1722.  ,It  is  a  standard 
work  to-day,  and  invaluable  to  one  who  would  gain  accurate 
information  of  the  islands  in  the  good  old  times. 

Hotel  accommodations  in  Basse  Terre  are  not  luxurious, 
but  there  is  a  fairly  good  hostelry  here,  the  Hotel  Celaline, 
situated  on  the  plaza,  facing  the  sea,  and  w'ithin  about 
100  yards  of  the  great  iron  pier.  Room  and  meals  for 
12  francs,  or  less  than  $2  per  day,  depending  upon  the  rate 
of  exchange.     Also  two  others,  the  Amelie  and  Anaida. 

Excursions  from  Basse  Terre.  The  best  of  Basse  Terre 
is  its  situation,  affording,  as  it  does,  varied  excursions,  such 
as  to  "Camp  Jacob,"  seat  of  the  governor's  residence  in 
summer,  and  Sainte  Claude,  both  in  the  hills,  and  to  the 
Sotifriere,  or  great  volcano.  Carriages  can  be  hired  here  at 
reasonable  rates,  each  vehicle  holding  two  persons,  and  also 
guides.  While  there  are  no  good  hotels  in  the  mountains, 
small  houses  can  be  rented  for  a  stay  of  any  duration  at 
Sainte  Claude,  midway  the  ascent,  or  at  Camp  Jacob  and 
Matouha,  near  the  foot  of  the  Soufriere.  Any  party  intend- 
ing the  ascent  of  the  volcano  should  arrange  in  advance  by 
cabling  ahead  from  Antigua  or  Saint  Kitts  to  the  American 
consul  at  Point e  a  Pitre,  or  the  vice-consul  at  Basse  Terre. 
The  ascent  of  the  Soufriere,  the  largest  volcano  in  Guade- 
loupe, 4,900  feet  altitude,  though  rather  severe  in  its  last 
stages  for  those  unaccustomed  to  mountain  climbing,  is  a 
feat  worth  a  great  deal  to  accomplish,  and  by  all  means 
should  be  attempted,  for  the  scenery  en  route  is  superb  and 
the  views  from  the  summit  (if  the  weather  be  fine)  magnifi- 
cent beyond  description. 

Ascent  of  the  Soufriere.  Arrangements  having  been 
made  in  advance  (at  the  hotel,  or  through  courtesy  of  the 
consul),  the  start  for  the  Soufriere  should  be  made  late  in 
the  afternoon,  to  avoid  the  heat  of  day,  which  is  intense, 
and  arrive  at  the  summit  in  time  to  view  the  sunrise,  which 


354  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST   INDIES 

is  glorious.  At  Saintc  Claude  one  finds  himself  in  the  coffee 
district  of  Guadeloupe,  where  are  ancestral  estates  still  in 
possession  of  white  men,  though  growing  fewer  every  year, 
owing  to  the  increase  of  the  blacks,  who  are  driving  out 
the  original  proprietors  and  their  descendants.  The  eleva- 
tion is  about  2,200  feet  above  the  sea,  and  the  temperature 
agreeable.  Here,  it  is  understood,  the  government  will  pro- 
vide quarters  for  tourists  in  the  military  barracks,  if  notified 
in  season.  This  is  an  attractive  region  to  tarry  in.  with  its 
tropical  vegetation,  beautiful  plantations  and  temperate 
climate ;  but  in  order  to  make  the  final  ascent  of  the  peak, 
it  will  be  better  to  pass  the  night  at  Camp  Jacob,  where 
likewise  are  fine  gardens,  villas,  and  a  refined  though  re- 
stricted society  of  summer  residents.  There  are  great  coffee 
estates  here,  with  winding  lanes  overhung  by  tree-ferns, 
plantains,  bananas,  and  all  the  rank  vegetation  of  tropical 
regions.  The  air  is  quite  cool  at  night,  at  early  morn  and 
evening,  so  it  is  a  pleasure  to  wander  about  and  inhale  the 
fragrance  of  the  myriad  flowers.  Near  Camp  Jacob,  on  the 
trail  to  the  Soufriere,  is  a  basin  hewn  from  rock  into  which 
a  hot  spring  gushes,  and  where  (preferably  after  the  descent 
from  the  volcano)  a  warm  bath  may  be  taken  beneath  the 
foliage  of  tropical  plants,  through  which  dart  gem-like 
humming-birds  on  buzzing  wings. 

The  final  start  for  the  summit  should  be  made  very  early  in 
the  morning — at  two  or  three  o'clock,  if  possible.  The  ascent 
is  steep,  but  not  severe,  and  for  the  first  part  of  the  trail  leads 
through  glorious  groves  of  pomme  rose,  where  bamboos  clash 
their  spears  beside  the  path,  and  then  appear  the  giant  trees 
of  the  "High  Woods."  Here  are  forest  giants  with  but- 
tressed trunks.  10  to  20  feet  in  diameter,  which  rear  their 
crowns  so  far  aloft  that  one  cannot  see  them,  hung  as  they 
are  with  thousands  of  lianas  or  bush-ropes,  which  them- 
selves are  adorned  with  flowering  parasites,  orchids 
and  -  wild  pines,  around  which  hover  lovely  humming- 
birds.* 

Beyond  the  "High  Woods"  the  vegetation  is  dwarfed  by 
altitude    and    atmosphere,    consisting    of    ferns    and    shrubs, 

*In  Camps  tfi  the  Caribbees,  by  F.  A.  Ober,  first  published  in  1879,  this 
.  forest  and  the  ascent  are  described  in  detail. 


GUADELOUPE  355 

through  which,  if  no  traveller  has  hccn  there  recently,  a  path 
must  be  cut  by  the  guide  with  his  machete.  Hot  and  cold 
streams  fall  over  the  cliffs  and  wind  through  the  ferns;  the 
path  has  been  worn  into  cavities  by  floods,  and  here  is  the 
hardest  climbing,  lasting  for  about  an  hour.  The  Soiifricre, 
or  sulphur  basin,  of  the  volcano  bursts  upon  one  suddenly 
as  a  desolated  area  filled  with  solfataras,  from  which  steam 
and  sulphurous  vapours  are  constantly  emitted,  accompanied 
by  loud  reports.  Its  aspect  suggests  the  infernal  character 
of  the  subterranean  regions  whence  these  sounds  and  vapours 
proceed,  and  one  cannot  but  indulge  in  speculation  as  to 
when  the  next  eruption  will  occur.  The  last  one  was  in  1815, 
and  the  volcan  behaved  very  well  during  the  eruption  of 
Mont  Pelee,  of  Martinique,  in  1902.  The  view  from  the 
Soufricre's  summit,  4.900  feet,  or  from  the  crater-brim, 
about  4.000  feet,  is  magnificent,  comprising  a  vast  sea-scape 
containing  the  gem-like  Saintes,  Desiradc,  Marie  Galante,  Do- 
minica, and  other  islands  far  away  on  the  horizon.  In  the 
experience,  as  well  as  in  the  extensive  view  over  forest- 
covered  mountains  and  shimmering  tropic  sea,  the  ascent  of 
Guadeloupe's  Soufriere  will  well  repay  one  for  the  small 
outlay  of  money  and  the  time  employed. 
By  Diligence  to  Pointe  a  Pitre.  A  diligence,  recently  aug- 
mented by  an  automobile,  plies  between  Basse  Terre,  the 
capital,  and  Poiutc  a  Pitre,  the  commercial  city  of  the  Guade- 
loupes,  daily  except  Sunday.  One  can  also  go  by  small 
coasting  steamer,  leaving  Basse  Terre  Tuesdays  and  Fridays 
and  returning  Mondays  and  Thursdays.  Fare,  either  way,  is 
about  $3,  including  dinner  en  route.  The  diligence  leaves 
the  capital  at  6  a.m.  and  arrives  at  Petit  Bourg  1.30  p.m., 
whence  a  ferry  crosses  the  Petit  Ciil  de  Sac  to  Pointe  a  Pitre, 
arriving  at  2.30.  The  first  interesting  place  beyond  Basse 
Terre  is  Gourbeyre,  a  pretty  little  suburb  on  the  highest 
point  of  the  road,  locally  famed  for  its  hot  and  warm  spring 
baths.  Beyond  here,  as  far  as  Capesterre,  are  fine  ocean 
views  and  magnificent  mountain  scenery.  About  one-third 
the  distance  between  the  two  places,  at  the  Trois  Rivieres,  is  a 
large  rock  with  Carib  carvings  on  it.  This  spot  is  supposed 
to  be  that  at  zvliicJi  Columbus  landed.  1493.  when  he  dis- 
covered evidences  of  cannibals   in  the  huts  of  Indians.     A 


356  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST   INDIES 

gnarled  banyan  tree  near  the  mouth  of  the  river  marks  the 
conjectural   landing-place. 

At  the  Bay  Saint e  Marie,  beyond  Capesterre,  on  the  road 
to  Pointe  a  Pitre  (it  is  a  tradition),  Columbus  awaited  the 
arrival  of  some  of  his  soldiers,  who  had  been  lost  in  the 
forest,  as  described  in  the  account  of  his  voyage  by  Wash- 
ington Irving.  A  great  zvaterfall  is  seen  here,  distant  from 
the  coast  in  the  mountains,  like  a  silver  thread  drawn  against 
the  cliffs  and  sombre  forests,  which  appears  (in  the  language 
of  Columbus  himself,  who  saw  and  described  it)  as  if 
dropping  out  of  the  sky.  Twenty-six  rivers  were  seen  by 
him  and  his  soldiers  on  that  first  visit  of  white  men  to 
Guadeloupe,  all  of  which  they  forded  as  they  passed  through 
the  most  magnificent  forests  they  had  ever  looked  upon.  The 
forests  to-day  are  almost  as  vast,  and  the  rivers  as  beautiful, 
as  in  the  time  of  Columbus;  but  they  are  confined  altogether 
to  the  mountainous  island,  the  other  being  flat,  scantily 
watered,  and  yet  extremely  fertile,  supplying  with  sugar- 
cane the  usinc  of  Arbousier,  near  Pointe  a  Pitre,  which  is 
said  to  be  the  largest  sugar-factory  in  the  world. 

Pointe  a  Pitre,  Guadeloupe's  metropolis,  lies  near  the  south- 
ern mouth  of  the  Riviere  Salee,  the  salt-water  creek  that 
divides  the  two  islands.  This  creek  is  navigable  for  small 
craft,  and  is  lined  with  mangroves,  among  which  many  kinds 
of  birds  have  their  habitat,  affording  good  shooting  in  the 
season.  The  city  (17,000  inhabitants)  is  regularly  built, 
with  a  fountain  in  the  centre  of  its  square,  a  market-place, 
a  cathedral,  wide,  straight  streets,  a  well-supplied  museum, 
a  ''chamber  of  agriculture,"  and  a  theatre.  Owing  to  de- 
structive fires,  earthquakes,  and  hurricanes,  in  times  recent 
as  well  as  remote,  the  city  is  not  attractive  in  its  architecture, 
and,  like  the  islands  generally,  is  almost  abandoned  to  the 
native  blacks,  whose  motto  has  for  a  long  time  been:  "Rule 
or  ruin."  They  have  not  the  wisdom  or  energy  to  rule,  and 
so  they  have  inflicted  the  alternative,  and  have  well-nigh 
ruined  the  city,  as  well  as  the  habitable  country  districts. 

There  are  two  hostelries  in  the  city,  the  "Hotel  de  Paris" 
and  the  "Hotel  des  Antilles,"  neither  of  which  affords  more 
than  fair  entertainment,  at  from  10  to  12  francs  per  day. 
Furnished   rooms   may  be  had,   with   board,   at   same   rates. 


GUADELOUPE  357 

It  Is  the  universal  opinion  among  travellers  who  have  had 
the  misfortune  to  be  "stalled"  at  Pointe  a  Pitre  that  while 
there  may  be  worse  places  somewhere,  they  have  never  found 
them  anywhere !  The  place  is  hot  and  at  times  pestiferous, 
for  while  the  bay  and  harbour  are  large  and  deep,  the  tides 
and  currents  are  sluggish,  and  hence  yellow  fever  has  no 
difficulty  in  finding  lodgment  there;  though,  truth  to  tell, 
it  seems  rarely  fatal  in  its  effects.  From  the  Pointe  fine 
roads  branch  out  in  various  directions,  and  one  may  visit 
the  foothills  of  the  more  elevated  island  or  the  fine  sugar 
estates  of  Grande  Tcrre,  with  which  the  flat  country  literally 
abounds. 

Excursions  by  boat  may  be  made  to  the  smaller  islands, 
where  a  population  exists  that  has  many  interesting  traits, 
as  in  Desirade,  the  Saintes,  and  Marie  Galante,  and  the 
scenery  is  attractive.  While  the  western  island,  the  real 
Guadeloupe,  is  of  volcanic  formation,  with  mountains,  hills, 
and  forests  beautiful  beyond  words  to  describe,  the  Grande 
Terre,  or  eastern  island,  is  calcareous  or  coralline.  Marie 
Galante  and  Desirade  are  of  the  same  formation,  the  former 
being  terraced  so  that  it  resembles,  some  one  has  said,  an 
old  Babylonian  tower,  supporting  a  plateau  nearly  700  feet 
above  the  sea.  About  17,000  people,  mostly  blacks,  reside 
here ;  and  Desirade,  which  is  also  terraced  and  the  same  in 
character,  only  10  square  miles  in  area,  has  about  1,400  pop- 
ulation. The  quaint  little  Saintes  south  of  Basse  Terre  are 
volcanic  and  picturesque,  with  peaks  i.ooo  feet  in  height, 
some  of  which  are  crownied  with  old  fortifications,  com- 
manding a  sheltered  basin  utilized  as  a  naval  station. 

The  black  and  coloured  people  may  be  best  observed  in  the 
market-places,  especially  at  the  Pointe,  where  they  assemble 
by  hundreds,  some  of  them  remarkably  handsome  in  feature 
and  strikingly  perfect  of  form,  as  they  come  in  from  the 
hills  and  mountains,  where  they  have  their  gardens.  All 
seem  thrifty,  though  almost  insolently  independent  in  their 
bearing  toward  the  whites,  whom  they  greatly  outnumbef, 
and  in  effect  dominate.  They  are  not  so  picturesque  in  their 
costumes  nor  so  attractive  altogether  as'  the  Martinicans 
in  the  French  island  to  the  south  of  them;  but  on  the  whole 
arc  better  looking  than  their  congeners  in  the  Dutch  and 


358  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST   INDIES 

English  islands.  The  French  language  is  spoken  throughout, 
and  French  currency  is  in  use,  though  interpreters  abound, 
and  English  and  American  gold  pass  current. 

Means  of  Communication.  New  York  and  Guadeloupe : 
The  "Royal  Mail,"  via  Barbados. 

The  "Quebec  Line,"  fare,  one  way,  $50;  return,  $90. 

From  England :  Southampton  and  London,  the  "Royal 
Mail." 

France  via  Compagnie  Generale  Transatlantique. 

Intercolonial  service,  French,  between  Guadeloupe  and 
Cayenne,  French  Guiana,  touching  at  Dominica,  Martinique, 
St.  Lucia,  and  Barbados. 


DOMINICA 

A  Mountainous  Island.  Dominica  is  a  very  beautiful 
island,  a  little  more  than  15  degrees  north  of  the  equator, 
29  miles  in  length  at  its  longest  and  16  in  breadth  at  its 
broadest,  with  a  computed  area  of  290  square  miles,  of  which 
a  great  portion  consists  of  hills  and  mountains.  Of  its 
186,000  square  acres,  only  70.000  are  under  cultivation,  and 
it  is  one  of  the  wildest  of  islands,  as  well  as  the  largest 
in  the  "Leeward"  group.  It  is  large,  however,  only  rel- 
atively, though  a  great  mountain  ridge  runs  through  its 
centre,  culminating  in  the  peak  long  known  as  Diablotin, 
or  Devil  Mountain,  which  is  4.750  feet  in  height.  It  is  the 
loftiest  in  the  Lesser  Antilles,  and  overlooks  a  vaster  area 
of  forest,  perhaps,  than  any  other  in  the  West  Indies,  except 
some  peak  in  Trinidad.  Side  spurs  and  lateral  ranges  of 
hills  enclose  between  them  marvellously  beautiful  valleys, 
through  every  one  of  which  flows  a  lovely  stream,  so  that 
it  has  been  said  there  is  one  for  every  day  in  the  year,  or 
365  in  all.  The  interior  is  still  covered  with  primeval  forest, 
into  which  the  infrequent  clearings  break  from  the  coast, 
which  is  ringed  with  a  road  about  100  miles  in  length.  One 
highway  (suitable  only  for  riding  and  not  for  driving) 
encircles  the  coast,  three  bridle  paths  cross  the  island  at 
different  points,  and  a  new  road  (from  Roseau  to  the  Layou 
Flats)  opens  up  a  level  country,  which  is  being  exploited 
for  agricultural  purposes.  There  are  very  few  wheeled 
vehicles  in  Dominica,  for  the  simple  reason  that  there  are 
no  extensive  highways  for  them  to  traverse. 
A  Volcanic  Island.  That  Dominica  is  a  volcanic  island 
can  be  seen  at  a  glance,  and  that  its  mountain  forms  are 
,the  grandest,  its  forests  the  most  magnificent  to  be  seen 
almost  anywhere,  seems  to  be  true.  Proof  of  its  volcanic 
character  is  afforded  the  most  sceptical  by  its  great,  inter- 
mittent geyser,  locally  called  the  "Boiling  Lake,"  from  which 
arise  fumes  that  are  unmistakably  sulphurous.  Volcanic 
islands  are  generally   rich   ones    (referring  to  their   soils), 


36o  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST   INDIES 

and  Dominica  is  no  exception  to  the  rule,  as  it  contains 
terrene  treasures  for  which  it  is  only  necessary  to  scratch 
with  a  hoe  to  unearth  in  great  abundance.  ]\Iost  of  the  old 
plantations,  anciently  devoted  to  sugar,  but  now  to  cacao, 
limes,  coffee,  and  spices,  lie  along  and  near  the  coast,  with 
here  and  there  a  settlement  of  blacks,  Caribs,  or  coloured 
people  in  some  isolated  valley  among  the  hills.  The  only 
large  area  of  rich  soil  not  yet  wholly  unexploited  is  in  the 
Layou  Flats,  20.000  acres,  near  the  centre  of  the  island,  and 
recently  opened  to  settlers  by  a  roadway  constructed  with  an 
Imperial  grant.  Here  one  may  obtain,  at  20  shillings  per 
acre,  most  fertile  soil,  already  covered  with  valuable  dye 
and  cabinet  woods,  upon  which  may  be  cultivated  the  spices 
of  Araby,  as  well  as  coft'ee.  cacao,  limes,  oranges — in  fact, 
all  the  fruits  that  grow  in  the  tropics. 

No  pests  in  Dominica.  There  are  no  insect  pests  inimical 
to  human  beings  in  this  island,  and  though  within  half  a 
degree  of  Martinique,  home  of  that  poisonous  serpent,  the 
"Iron  Lance,"  it  does  not  exist  here.  There  are  snakes, 
like  the  Tctc  Chicn,  or  dog-head  snake,  which  is  a  harmless 
boa  constrictor,  that  reaches  a  length  of  8  or  10  feet ;  and 
there  are  the  customary  insects,  like  the  tarantula,  centiped, 
scorpion,  etc. ;  but  they  rarely  trouble  the  people.  An  Eng- 
lishman long  resident  in  the  island,  where  he  had  "raised" 
a  family  of  ten  children,  once  told  the  waiter  that  none  of 
them  had  ever  seriously  suffered  from  insect  bites,  though 
accustomed  to  run  about  in  town  and  country  as  they  chose. 
There  are,  it  is  said,  no  malarial  mosquitoes  here ;  and  the 
writer  remembers  that  he  once  camped  for  months  in  the 
mountains  of  Dominica  without  being  stung  at  all,  though 
frequently  sleeping  on  the  ground,  and  in  the  thatched  huts 
of  the  natives. 

The  climate  is  decidedly  moist,  but  during  the  winter  months, 
from  December  to  April,  is  delightful.  The  mean  annual 
temperature  of  the  coast  region  is  about  80  degrees ;  but  by 
shifting  one's  residence  from  the  coast  to  the  hills  or  moun- 
tains (w^hich  may  be  done  in  an  hour)  a  delightful  temper- 
ature will  be  found,  averaging  from  55  to  75  degrees.  And 
the  climate  (with  the  exception  of  a  small  area  in  the  north- 
western end  of  the  island,  where  malaria  prevails)   is  most 


DOMINICA  361 

healthful,  the  death  rate,  so  far  as  known,  being  only  16  per 
I  000.  All  Europeans  who  are  temperate  in  habit  reach 
a  good  old  age,  seldom  dying  under  eighty,  and  retaining 
their  vigour  to  the  last.  The  same  may  be  said  of  the  blacks ; 
though  they  are  more  exposed  to  the  vicissitudes  of  a  crude 
mode  of  existence,  and  thus  subject  to  its  penalties. 

People  and  Towns.  As  in  the  other  islands  of  the  Car- 
ibbecs,  there  is  but  one  port  at  which  steamers  call  and 
commercial  pursuits  are  carried  on.  This  is  Roseau,  capital 
of  the  island,  with  about  6,000  population.  It  is  situated  on 
the  southeast  (leew-ard)  coast,  and  cannot  boast  a  harbour; 
but  in  the  northeast  is  a  magnificent  one,  Prince  Rupert's 
Bay,  on  which  is  located  the  tow^n  of  Portsmouth,  with  some 
2,000  inhabitants.  But  though  Prince  Rupert's  is  one  of  the 
finest  natural  harbours  in  the  w^orld.  its  shores  are  malarious, 
and  so  it  does  not  realise  the  aspirations  of  the  Dominicans, 
who  believe  it  should  become  a  coaling  station  for  vast  fleets. 
At  the  extreme  southeast  of  the  island,  near  a  picturesque 
promontory  known  as  Scott's  Head,  where  are  the  remains 
of  an  old  fort,  lies  the  very  interesting  village  of  Soufriere, 
embosomed  in  a  seacoast  valley.  The  population  of  Do- 
minica, all  told,  will  not  exceed  30,000,  and  very  few  of  these 
are  white,  probably  not  one  per  cent.  But  the  few  white 
people  are  progressive,  and  the  towm  of  Roseau  has  a  social 
club,  to  which  strangers  are  admitted  by  introduction  of 
members,  a  library,  golf  links,  and  a  tennis  club. 

Over  on  the  Windward  coast,  a  long  day's  journey  from 
Roseau  on  horseback,  is  an  Indian  reservation,  containing 
the  last  remains  of  the  Caribs,  discovered  here  by  Columbus 
in  1493.  They  then  were  cannibals,  he  said ;  but  no  acts  of 
cannibalism  are  recorded,  with  proof,  and  their  descendants 
are  the  "mildest  mannered  men  that  ever  cut  a  throat" — 
provided  they  ever  did  so.  There  are  some  300  Caribs  dwell- 
ing on  their  reservation  at  Salybia,  but  many  of  them  have 
*;o  much  negro  blood  in  their  veins  that  they  are  very 
dark,  instead  of  light  yellow,  which  is  the  prevailing  tint 
of  the  pure-bloods.  They  live  there  quietly  and  peacefully, 
gaining  a  livelihood  from  fishing,  gardening,  working  on  the 
sugar  plantations,  and  plaiting  waterproof  panniers,  or 
baskets,  famous  throughout  the  islands.     To  reach  the  Carib 


Z(^2  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST  INDIES 

Country,  as  their  section  is  called,  one  must  hire  horses  in 
Roseau,  and  also  a  guide,  or  at  least  a  porter,  who  will 
carry  his  baggage,  if  not  exceeding  60  pounds  in  weight, 
all  the  way  on  his  head.  His  wage  will  be  2  shillings  per 
day,  and  the  hire  of  the  horse  will  be  8  shillings,  or  50  cents 
and  $2,  respectively. 

Dominica's  Capital.  Roseau,  situated  on  an  open  road- 
stead, at  the  mouth  of  a  river  of  the  same  name,  is  not  an 
entrancing  spectacle  to  view  nor  a  comfortable  town  to 
dwell  in.  It  is  a  mere  collection  of  shanties — of  those  un- 
couth dwellings  of  wood,  with  galvanised-iron  roofs  and 
rough  stone  foundations,  in  which  the  West  Indians  live, 
especially  the  black  or  coloured  West  Indians,  without  re- 
gard to  appearances.  A  good  fire,  judiciously  directed, 
would  vastly  improve  the  future  appearance  of  Roseau ;  but 
as  it  exists  to-day  it  is  a  blot  upon  one  of  the  fairest  pros- 
pects ever  made  for  man  to  enjoy.  If  one  could  invade  the 
island  without  first  enduring  the  horrors  of  Roseau  he  would 
think  himself  dropped  directly  into  the  bosom  of  Paradise. 
Almost  anywhere  away  from  the  coast  beach  one  finds  most 
entrancing  pictures  of  tropical  vegetation.  One  has  been 
forewarned  of  what  is  in  store  for  him  by  the  views  from 
shipboard,  which  are  magnificent  beyond  words  to  describe. 
Says  Mr.  W.  G.  Palgrave,  famous  Oriental  traveller:  "In 
the  wild  grandeur  of  its  towering  mountains,  some  of  which 
rise  to  near  5.000  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea,  in  the 
majesty  of  its  almost  impenetrable  forests,  in  the  gorgeous- 
ness  of  its  vegetation,  the  abruptness  of  its  precipices,  the 
calm  of  its  lakes,  the  violence  of  its  torrents,  the  sublimity 
of  its  waterfalls,  it  stands  without  a  rival — not  in  the  West 
Indies  only,  but  (I  should  think)  throughout  the  whole 
island  catalogue   of  the   Atlantic   and    Pacific   combined." 

With  an  impression  of  grandeur  upon  your  mind,  you  land 
at  the  jetty  of  Roseau,  and  find  yourself  plunged  into  a 
settlement,  apparently,  of  "Darkest  Africa,"  judging  by  the 
population  in  the  streets.  These  streets,  also,  are  cobbled 
with  rough  stones,  with  narrow  sidewalks — where  any  exist — 
and  over  these  the  barefooted  negroes  shuffle,  shuffle,  with 
a  strange  rasping  sound  that  gets  upon  the  nerves.  But 
there  are  buildings  in  Roseau  besides  the  huts,  and  shacks, 


DOMINICA  3^2, 

such  as  the  cathedral,  the  Government  House,  set  in  a  quite 
pretty  garden,  and  the  old  fort,  which  dates  from  the  century 
before  the  last.  Roseau  is  extremely  hot,  summer  and  winter 
alike,  yet  her  dwellers  have  not  learned  the  art  of  building 
verandas,  where  one  may  sit  in  the  open  air  and  enjoy  the 
freshness  of  afternoon  and  evening. 

The  Island's  Natural  Beauties.  The  natural  beauties  of 
Dominica  do  not  need  a  contrast  like  that  offered  by  Roseau 
to  bring  out  their  dominant  attractions.  They  would  attract 
attention  and  enchain  it  anywhere;  they  would  be  called 
superlative  among  a  host  of  rivals,  whether  in  the  Old 
World  or  the  New.  We  must  not,  however,  slight  such 
few  adornments  as  nature  has  thrust  upon  Roseau,  though 
they  are  all  of  nature's  making — in  some  instances  with  the 
aid  of  man.  There  is  the  experimental  garden,  for  instance, 
or,  rather,  the  Botanical  Station,  where,  under  the  super- 
vision of  the  Imperial  Department  of  Agriculture,  everything 
susceptible  of  cultivation  in  the  islands  is  being  brought  to 
perfection.  It  is  supplemental  to  the  greater  work  of  de- 
veloping the  hitherto  waste  Crown  lands  and  the  regenera- 
tion of  the  abandoned  sugar  lands ;  for  planters  in  need  are 
supplied,  as  they  are  in  St.  Lucia,  with  the  choicest  plants 
and  seeds  at  a  minimum  cost. 
Then  there  is  Morne  Bruce,  a  hill  with  vine-hung,  precipi- 
tous sides,  rising  directly  above  the  shabby  town  in  the 
valley,  which  it  spurns  with  its  feet,  almost  set  in  the 
sea.  The  view  from  ]\Iorne  Bruce  is  delectable,  and  may 
be  obtained  by  climbing  afoot  or  riding  donkeyback,  as  one 
prefers.  Investigations  into  the  culture  of  limes — the  fruit 
that  saved  the  island  from  dire  poverty  some  forty  years 
ago — may  be  carried  on  right  at  the  borders  of  Roseau. 
Stroll  up  the  river  road  a  mile  or  so  and  you  are  at  once 
plunged  into  bowers  of  lime  trees,  cacaos.  cocoa-palms,  and 
plantains. 

Hot  Springs  and  Waterfalls.  Obtaining  horses  and 
guides  at  Roseau,  one  may  make  the  first  excursion  to  lovely 
Watt  on  Wavcn,  where  there  are  hot  sulphur  springs,  a  place 
to  picnic  beneath  the  palms,  and  two  of  the  most  fascinating 
waterfalls  ever  seen  in  any  clime.  The  larger  is  only  about 
150  feet  in  height,  coming  down  over  a  precipice  from  the 


364  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST  INDIES 

plateau  above ;  but  it  is  its  setting  of  tropical  plants,  more 
than  its  altitude,  that  compels  the  admiration  of  all  beholders. 

A  more  delightful  excursion  still  is  that  to  the  Mountain 
Lake,  in  the  "High  Woods,"  3,000  feet  above  sea  level.  All 
the  way  you  may  ride,  save  v^hen  you  desire  to  alight  for 
the  purpose  of  plucking  ferns  and  begonias,  orchids  and 
coffee  blossoms,  wild  oranges  and  limes,  bananas  and  plan- 
tains ;  for  all  are  there  in  greatest  profusion.  Bamboos  wave 
their  feathery  foliage  above  chasms  hundreds  of  feet  in 
depth;  huge  gorumier  trees  send  their  great  shafts  upward 
200  feet,  hung  with  long  lianas,  draped  with  parasitic  plants 
displaying  flowers  of  every  hue.  From  the  Roseau  River  to 
the  lake  is  a  steady  ascent,  steep  at  times,  and  over  a  tor- 
tuous bridle  trail,  but  always  fascinating  in  its  surprises. 
At  the  height  of  1,000  feet  above  the  sea  you  hear  the 
liquid  organ  notes  of  the  SiiHeur  Montague,  or  Mountain 
Whistler,  a  shy  and  pretty  bird,  with  garb  of  drab  and 
terra-cotta,  which  utters  its  melodious  notes  only  in  the 
gloomy  gorges,  where  it  sits  suspended  on  some  liana  or 
wild  rope-vine,  500  feet,  perhaps,  above  a  foaming  waterfall. 
Beautiful  humming-birds  dart  across  the  trail,  enlivening 
the  gloom  beneath  the  bamboos,  and  gleam  like  red  and 
emerald  stars  within  the  forest.  The  atmosphere  grows 
cooler  every  hundred  yards  of  ascent,  and  by  the  time  the 
lake  is  reached  we  are  in  the  temperate  zone — 'Or,  at  least,  we 
have  the  "temperate"  temperature  of  about  70  degrees  in  the 
shade.  Arrived  at  the  lake,  we  find  it  a  small  body  of 
water  set  amid  hills  that  rise  around  it  covered  with  palms 
and  tree  ferns.  A  shelter-cave  is  hollowed  from  the  steep 
bank  by  the  roadway,  and  here  the  horse,  pony,  or  donkey 
is  tethered,  while  a  farther  trip  is  made  to  look  into  the 
Carib  Country. 

From  near  the  Mountain  Lake,  passing  beyond  it  eastward 
a  few  hundred  yards,  the  "Rosalie  View"  is  obtained,  which 
embraces  a  magnificent  sweep  of  tree-filled  vales  and  tree- 
crowned  hills  to  the  Windward  Coast,  miles  away.  Dim 
in  the  distance  the  surf-whitened  shore  of  Rosalie  Bay  may 
be  discerned,  and  beyond  outspread  the  vast  Atlantic  Ocean. 
In  going  from  Roseau  to  Rosalie  you  cross  the  island  from 
the  Caribbean  to  the  Atlantic  shore,  and  the  trip,  though 


A  Carib  Girl,  Dominica 


DOMINICA  365 

somewhat  rough,  is  very  satisfying.  There  are  no  hotels 
on  that  coast,  nor  even  boarding-houses,  so  one  is  com- 
pelled to  share  the  hospitalities  of  the  planters  (who  are 
becoming  scarce)  or  of  the  common  cultivators  (whose  huts 
hardly  contain  more  than  two  rooms  at  most  and  whose 
kitchens  are  out  of  doors).  What  one  would  go  to  see  in 
the  Carib  Country,  of  course,  would  be  the  Caribs  them- 
selves. It  is  a  long  day's  journey  from  the  one  coast  to  the 
other,  or  from  Roseau,  via  Rosalie,  to  Salybia,  the  Carib 
Reservation. 

In  order  to  save  yourself  the  trouble  of  the  journey  you 
might  set  a  servant  on  the  watch  for  Caribs  when  they  come 
to  town — as  they  frequently  do  for  their  marketing.  You 
will  find  the  women  rather  comely,  the  men  lithe  and  mus- 
cular, but  not  large  of  frame  or  fierce  of  visage.  They  are 
more  attractive-looking  than  the  black  people  and  more 
cleanly.  Their  colour,  if  uncontaminated  by  negro  blood, 
is  a  golden  bronze  or  copper;  their  hands  and  feet  are  small, 
their  hair  long,  coarse  and  black,  their  eyes  jet  black  and 
sometimes  obliquely  cast.  Their  huts  are  made  of  thatch 
and  wattle,  just  like  those  used  by  the  blacks  in  country 
regions,  so  that  it  will  not  be  necessary  to  make  a  trip 
to  see  them  purposely.  Still,  these  Caribs  have  a  home- 
life  of  their  own  which  is  dissimilar  to  that  of  the  imported 
Africans,  and  to  the  ethnologist  they  present  attractive  sub- 
jects for  study. 

Strange  Birds,  Fish  and  Game.  Dominica  is  not  a 
"sportsman's  paradise."  though  it  really  is  a  naturalist's, 
and  especially  the  botanist's.  Exploring  in  its  forests,  many 
years  ago,  the  writer  of  this  Guide  found  several  new  species 
of  birds  and  many  types  which  had  never  found  their  way  to 
Europe  or  the  United  States.  This  was  on  account  of  the 
rugged  and  mountainous  character  of  the  vast  forests,  as 
well  as  their  density.  Let  us  note  what  exists  here  that 
the  sportsman  would  accept  as  "game."  The  range  is 
narrow,  including  the  wild  pigeon,  or  rainier,  the  perdix — 
not  partridges,  but  ground-doves ;  the  agufi,  the  great  wild 
parrot,  the  largest  of  its  kind  in  the  world  ;  sometimes  migra- 
tory plover,  but  rarely;  wild  pigs,  and  the  tnanacou.  or 
native  opossum.    Birds  of  brilliant  plumage  are  rare,  though 


366  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST   INDIES 

there  are  four  species  of  humming-birds.  Birds  of  song 
likewise,  though  the  melodious  trill  of  the  "Mountain 
Whistler,"  heard  in  the  deep  woods,  will  never  be  forgotten. 
The  "dog-head  snake"  and  the  iguana  afford  some  "sport," 
and  then  there  is  the  "mountain  chicken,"  which  is  really  a 
frog,  the  crapud,  an  inflated  bullfrog  of  large  dimensions, 
the  flesh  of  which  is  eaten,  though  repulsive  to  some,  and 
not  considered  so  delicate  as  iguana  meat.  In  the  streams 
are  mountain  mullet,  which  have  been  known  to  take  an 
artificial  fly,  and  at  their  mouths,  at  certain  seasons,  de- 
licious "tri-tri,"  eels,  and  blackfish. 

The  Boiling  Lake.  Dominica  has  many  marvels  of  vege- 
tation, and  at  least  one  great  curiosity  in  its  giant  saw-beetle, 
the  Dynastcs  Hercules,  6  or  8  inches  in  length;  but  its  one 
real  and  acknowledged  "wonder"  is  the  famed  Boiling  Lake. 
This  "lake"  is  in  reality  a  great  geyser,  occupying  an  ancient 
crater  on  the  eastern  slope  of  the  Grand  Soufriere  Mountain. 
It  is  about  100  by  200  feet  in  extent,  and  is  sometimes  dry 
as  a  bone  and  again  boiling  with  excessive  fury  and  threat- 
ening to  overflow  its  brim.  It  was  discovered  thirty  years 
ago,  or  in  1877,  and  until,  that  recent  time  was  wholly 
unknown,  though  not  unsuspected.  This  fact  illustrates  the 
savage  wildness  of  Dominica's  interior,  which  had  forbidden 
exploration  in  an  island  so  small  that  one  might,  if  it  were 
level,  traverse  its  entire  length  in  less  than  a  day.  The 
first  photograph  of  this  geyser  was  taken  by  the  writer 
of  these  lines  in  1878  and  published  in  the  London  Graphic 
of  that  year  or  the  next.  However,  it  might  have  been 
better  for  several  individuals  if  the  Boiling  Lake  had  never 
been  discovered,  for  it  caused  the  death  of  at  least  two 
within  a  few  years  after  its  discovery.  One  was  scalded  to 
death  by  slipping  into  its  boiling  flood  and  the  other  asphyxi- 
ated by  sulphurous  gases.  During  the  eruptions  in  Martin- 
ique, in  1902,  only  30  miles  distant,  the  geyser  was  violently 
agitated  and  poured  forth  a  roaring  flood  of  boiling  water, 
as  well  as  chokmg  gases ;  but  hitherto  there  has  been  no 
disaster  attendant  upon  earthquake  or  volcanic  disturbances, 
though  such  may  occur  at  any  time. 

The  trip  to  the  Boiling  Lake  requires  special  preparation  and 
the  most  trusty  guides.     Horses  for  the  journey  to  Laudat, 


DOMINICA  ^f,-] 

a  mountain  liamlet  about  2  miles  from  the  Mountain  Lake, 
may  be  had  in  town,  as  also  provisions.  Town  guides,  or 
porters,  will  accompany  one  to  Laudat ;  but  they  are  of  no 
service  beyond  that  hamlet,  where  reside  hardy  mountaineers, 
of  mixed  negro  and  Carib  blood,  who  are  well  acquainted 
with  the  region.  It  is  best  to  proceed  to  Laudat  in  the 
afternoon,  stay  there  over  night,  and  make  an  early  start 
next  morning.  A  hut  may  be  engaged  in  advance  and  guides 
notified  to  be  in  readiness,  and  as  they  are  reliable  men, 
no  trouble  should  be  experienced,  though  constant  caution 
is  necessary  when  in  the  vicinity  of  the  geyser  basin.  The 
time  required  is  about  two  hours  to  Laudat  and  twice  as 
long  in  the  forest  each  way,  going  and  coming.  The  hills 
are  steep,  but  the  trail  leads  through  some  wonderful  vege- 
tation in  the  vine-hung  "High  Woods,"  crosses  lovely 
streams,  over  which  humming-birds  flutter,  and  finally  leads 
to  a  region  of  desolation,  in  the  centre  the  geyser,  which  may 
be  silent  or  sputtering,  as  the  mood  takes  it;  but  every  way 
considered  is  worth  the  journey,  for  the  objects  of  interest 
along  the  trail. 

Hotels  and  Boarding-Houses.  There  is  no  first-class 
hotel  in  Dominica,  but  several  boarding-houses  are  main- 
tained at  Roseau,  which  give  fair  accommodations  and  ex- 
cellent meals.  These  are  Mrs.  Ogilvy's.  Mrs.  Gordon's,  Miss 
Shew's,  and  Miss  Pemberton's,  all  situated  in  the  town,  with 
rates  from  $2  to  $3  per  day.  Boatmen's  fees  for  landing  are 
12  cents  each  person,  and  same  for  each  package.  Porters' 
charges,  frorrf  landing-place  to  hotel,  24  cents  per  trunk  or 
package.  Local  guides  are  numerous,  and  can  be  hired  at 
2  shillings  a  day.  Horses  are  $2  to  $2.50  per  day,  according 
to  time  and  distance. 

Various  Items  of  a  Local  Nature.  Sea  and  fresh  water 
bathing  may  be  had  near  town,  but  there  are  no  bath-houses 
or  conveniences.  Few  dwellings  can  be  obtained  for  house- 
keeping, but  living  is  reasonable:  beef  and  pork,  12  to  16 
cents  per  pound ;  milk  and  eggs  cheap ;  also  vegetables,  which 
include  all  the  tropical  and  some  northern  varieties.  Labour: 
men,  20  to  30  cents  per  day ;  women,  16  to  20  cents.  Servants, 
males,  $1.25  to  $1.75;  female,  $1  to  $1.50  per  week;  cleanly 
and  fairly  reliable. 


368  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST  INDIES 

Principal  products  of  the  island  are  sugar,  cacao,  limes, 
oranges,  vanilla,  all  the  tropical  fruits  and  vegetables,  and 
rubber,  recently  introduced  as  a  cultivation.  The  Botanic 
Station  instructs  in  tropical  agriculture,  and  furnishes  plants 
to  settlers.  Crozvn  Lands  (120,000  acres)  on  sale  at  $2.50 
per  acre.  Telegraphic  cable  to  all  points;  telephone  line  in 
island,  from  Roseau  to  Portsmouth.  A  local  steamer  con- 
stantly cruises  the  Leeward  coast,  and  once  a  week  makes  the 
circuit    of   the   island. 

Means  of  Communication.  With  New  York,  the  "Royal 
Mail"  and  "Quebec  Line"  steamers.  With  Bermuda,  Hali- 
fax and  Saint  John,  "Pickford  and  Black"  (Canadian) 
steamers.  With  England,  the  "Royal  Mail"  and  frequent 
"cargo"  boats.  Time  to  New  York,  eight  days;  to  Halifax, 
twelve ;  Southampton,  Eng.,  thirteen  days.  Fares :  New 
York,  $50;  return,  $90.  Halifax,  $50;  return,  $90;  second- 
class,  $35 ;  return,  $60. 

Attractions.  The  attractions  of  Dominica  may  be  summed 
up  as:  magnificent  mountain  scenery,  delightful  climate, 
exuberant  tropical  vegetation,  fine  waterfalls,  mountain 
lakes,  settlement  of  Caribs,  descended  from  the  island's 
aborigines;  rare  birds  and  beetles,  a  wonderful  "boiling 
lake,"  sulphur  springs,  botanical  gardens  and  park. 

Photographs  of  this  beautiful  island  may  be  obtained  of 
Mr.  W.  H.  Fenton,  the  "Acme  Studio,"  Roseau,  Dominica. 
Tourists  requiring  views  of  Dominica,  as  well  as  of  Martin- 
ique (the  eruption  at  St.  Pierre)  and  other  islands,  will  do 
well  to  call  on  Mr.  Fenton,  whose  workmansHip  is  attested 
by  the  reproductions  herewith  from  his  photographs. 

Historical  Sketch.  Dominica  is  intimately  connected 
with  that  famous  second  voyage  made  by  Don  Christopher 
Columbus  in  1493.  Approaching  this  beautiful  island  at 
dawn  of  November  3d.  he  named  it  Dominica,  in  honour 
of  the  day,  which  was  the  Sabbath,  and  as  "Sunday  Island" 
it  has  been  known  ever  since.  He  did  not  land,  but  pro- 
ceeded on  his  voyage,  though  he  was  greatly  impressed  with 
its  rugged  beauty,  and  on  his  return  to  Spain  illustrated  its 
uneven  surface  to  Queen  Isabella  by  crumpling  up  a  sheet 
of  parchment  in  his  hand  and  throwing  it  down  before  her. 

More  than  two  hundred  years  passed  before  a  settlement 


DOMINICA  369 

was  made,  as  the  cannibal  Caribs  kept  away  the  Spaniards. 
In  1627,  with  other  of  the  "Caribby  Islands,"  it  was  granted 
to  the  Earl  of  Carlisle  (by  the  King  of  England,  who  had 
no  right  to  it  whatever)  ;  but  the  Caribs  drove  away  the 
English,  as  well  as  the  French,  who  later  attempted  to 
colonise  there.  In  1748,  by  the  Treaty  of  Aix  la  Chapelle, 
it  was  agreed  by  both  nations  that  Dominica  should  remain 
in  possession  of  the  Caribs  as  a  "neutral"  island;  but  in 
1756,  the  French  having  established  colonies  there  from 
Martinique,  it  was  taken  by  the  English,  whose  ownership 
was  confirmed  by  the  Peace  of  Paris,  1763.  Money  set  aside 
for  its  colonisation  was  appropriated  to  provide  a  dowry  for 
Queen  Charlotte,  it  is  said,  and  the  colony  did  not  thrive 
for  many  years  thereafter.  The  island  changed  hands  sev- 
eral times,  being  first  English,  then  French,  and  it  was  not 
until  near  the  beginning  of  the  seventeenth  century  that  it 
became  permanently  English.  Traces  of  French  occupancy 
are  to-day  stronger  here  than  the  ancient  English,  for  not 
only  nearly  all  the  prominent  features  bear  French  names, 
but  the  speech  of  the  common  people  is  a  French  patois, 
which  all  must  learn  who  have  commercial  intercourse  with 
them. 

The  decisive  event  in  Dominica's  history,  as  it  was  also  in 
establishing  British  supremacy  in  the  West  Indies  (and  on 
all  the  seas  of  the  world,  in  fact),  was  the  great  naval 
battle  between  Rodney  and  De  Grasse,  which  took  place 
off  Dominica's  Leeward  coast  in  1782.  Sailing  from  the 
harbour  of  Port  Royal  (Fort  de  France),  in  Martinique, 
the  French  fleet  was  overtaken  by  the  British  off  Roseau, 
and  there  was  fought,  within  sight  of  the  town  at  times, 
one  of  the  greatest  naval  battles  of  the  world.  It  is  a  story 
worth  the  telling,  but  demands  too  great  space  in  this 
Guide;  and  the  reader  is  referred  to  Froude's  English  in  the 
West  Indies  and  to  Ober's  Our  West  Indian  Neighbors 
for  details  of  this  terrible  conflict.  In  brief,  the  French 
fleet  was  destroyed,  and  at  least  one  of  its  shattered  hulks 
drifted  ashore  at  Dominica,  near  a  place  now  known  as 
Rodney's  Rock.  For  more  than  a  hundred  years,  or  since 
1805.  the  island  has  belonged  to  the  English,  though  the 
French  made  efforts  to  dispossess  them — desperate  efforts, 


370  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST  INDIES 

during  the  Revolutionary  period — and  the  old  fort  at  Scott's 
Head,  at  the  southern  point  of  the  island,  was  drenched  in 
the  blood  of  its  defenders. 

After  many  vicissitudes,  including  an  uprising  of  the  Caribs 
and  Maroons  of  the  mountains  in  1785;  the  depression  caused 
by  emancipation,  1834 ;  ruin  of  the  sugar  industry,  etc.,  Do- 
minica took  a  new  lease  of  life  when  lime  cultivation  was 
introduced  here  by  Dr.  Imray,  and  latterly  has  advanced 
toward  prosperity,  under  the  leadership  of  Dr.  Nicholls  and 
the  guidance  of  the  Imperial  Department  of  Agriculture. 


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MARTINIQUE 

"Queen  of  the  Caribbees."  Separated  from  Dominica  by 
a  sea-channel  20  miles  in  width,  the  mountains  of  iMartinque 
may  be  seen  from  the  former  island  as  one  sails  south- 
wardly. Sometimes  the  seas  are  rough  in  these  island 
channels,  but  it  is  not  for  long;  as  soon  as  the  lee  of  a  moun- 
tain is  gained  the  waters  grow  smooth  again.  Such  is  the 
case  sailing  between  these  two  islands,  for  scarcely  has 
the  trade  wind  drawn  down  through  the  broad  opening  than 
it  is  deflected  by  the  towering  peak  of  Montague  Pelee,  whose 
summit  is  generally  cloud-capped.  Mont  Pelcc,  as  all  the 
world  knows  now,  is  the  evil  genius  of  IMartinique,  the 
rolcan  that  caused  its  desolation  in  the  month  of  IVIay.  1902, 
and  in  a  moment  of  time  obliterated  the  city  of  Saint  Pierre, 
with  30.000  inhabitants.  If  Dominica  contains  the  monarch 
of  Caribbean  mountains,  Martinique  certainly  abounds  in 
most  queenly  charms,  albeit  somewhat  gloomy  at  first  glance. 
Picture  a  mountain,  or  rather  a  congeries  of  mountains 
(as  the  author  once  wrote  of  this  island),  covered  from  base 
to  summit — from  encircling  Caribbean  Sea  to  various  cloud- 
capped  crests — with  such  a  vegetation  as  only  the  tropics  can 
display.  Above  the  mass  towers  great  and  gloomy  Mon- 
tague Pelee,  4,400  feet  in  height,  its  broad  flanks  sweeping 
gracefully  up  from  the  sea.  It  is  dark  green  in  hue  above, 
jagged  in  outline,  cleft  into  ravines  and  black  gorges,  through 
which  run  numerous  rivers,  fed  by  the  internal  fountains 
of  this  great  and  terrible  volcano.  A  towering,  gloomy 
mountain,  sinister,  almost  appalling — thus  it  impresses  one 
at  first  glance,  and  thus  was  its  character  borne  out  by  the 
eruption  of  1902.  Fifty  years  and  more  it  had  remained 
inactive,  quiescent,  and  only  the  gods  knew  when  it  would 
burst  forth  again;  so  the  people  on  its  flanks  and  near  its 
base  were  taken  unawares.  There  were  grumblings  and 
rumblings,  to  be  sure,  and  clouds  of  ashes  sometimes  floated 
over  the  lowlands ;  but  Saint  Pierre  was  hardly  disturbed 
by  these  tokens  of  activity,  hardly  interrupted  its  wonted 


372  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST   INDIES 

avocations;  'and  as  for  its  vocations,  they  went  on  as 
before. 
Saint  Pierre  before  the  Eruption.  Imagine  yourself  sailing 
into  a  broad  bay,  3  miles  in  length,  with  a  town,  or  city,  at 
its  height,  extremely  picturesque  in  buildings  of  stone  covered 
with  earthen  tiles,  except  where  these  had  been  ripped  off 
by  the  latest  hurricane  and  replaced  with  roofs  of  corrugated 
iron.  It  somewhat  resembled,  this  town,  the  city  of  Algiers 
in  its  ensemble,  though  the  hills  came  nearer  to  its  structures 
of  stone,  which,  indeed,  were,  some  of  them,  built  right  into 
and  against  their  vine-draped  cliffs.  The  streets  were 
narrow,  the  sidewalks  still  narrower,  and  adown  the  gutters 
rushed  rapid  streams  from  the  hills,  which  at  the  same  time 
took  away  all  filth  and  impurities  and  cooled  the  heated 
atmosphere.  These  streets  swarmed  with  a  motley  assem- 
blage of  every  hue  of  skin  and  colour  of  costume ;  but  there 
was  no  crowding  or  jostling,  for  this  vari-coloured  populace 
was  as  thoroughly  French  as  if  all  had  been  born  in  Paris, 
and  as  completely  imbued  with  the  national  superficial  polite- 
ness as  if  all  were  indeed  Parisian.  The  coloured  Creoles 
of  the  female  sex,  hundreds  of  whom  frequent  the  streets 
and  market-places,  were  attired  in  quaint  costumes  of  Jose- 
phine's time,  as  they  express  it,  that  Creole  wife  of  the 
first  Napoleon,  who  was  born  in  this  island  and  went  thence 
to  France,  there  to  find  sorrow  as  well  as  fame.  These 
gowns  worn  by  the  female  folk  are  long  and  loosely  flowing, 
but  short-waisted,  gathered  up  under  the  arms  and  shoulder- 
blades,  a  VImpcratrice ;  but  here  the  resemblance  to  Jose- 
phine's costume  ends,  for  on  their  heads  these  females  wore 
gorgeous  turbans,  red  and  green  and  yellow,  adorned  with 
gold  brooches  and  jewelry  galore.  In  their  ears  hung  golden 
fasces,  bunches  of  hollow  cylinders,  which  dragged  the  lobes 
down  heavily.  On  their  heads  many  of  them  balanced  great 
burdens,  consisting  of  fruits  or  vegetables,  the  products  of 
plantations  and  provision-grounds  far  distant  on  the  Wind- 
ward side  of  the  island.  They  may  have  come  a  distance 
of  20  miles,  all  the  way  carrying  these  great  burdens, 
jauntily  bearing  themselves  erect,  swinging  along  with 
springy  strides,  out  to  the  town  and  market  in  the  morning 
and  back  again  at  night. 


MARTINIQUE  zji 

People  of  Martinique.  What  elements  united  to  form  the 
exquisite  Fille  de  Coiileiir  of  Martinique  the  ethnologist 
seems  never  to  have  decided;  but  that  there  is  a  blending  of 
blood  that  obtains  in  none  other  of  the  islands,  resulting 
in  a  most  .charming  creation,  is  admitted.  Perhaps  it  was 
the  French,  the  Carib  and  the  octoroon,  or  the  quadroon, 
that,  united,  formed  the  perfect  embodiment  of  beauty  once 
found  here  and  still  rarely  to  be  discovered  in  the  country 
districts.  Whatever  the  cause,  it  seemed  to  be  the  im- 
pression that  beautiful  women  were  more  abundant  and 
finely  formed  men  more  frequently  seen  in  Martinique  than 
elsewhere.  That  was  the  impression  made  as  one  traversed 
the  streets  of  Saint  Pierre;  and  that  the  population  was  as 
joyous  as  it  was  comely  also  impressed  the  stranger  in  this 
tropical  city.  Happy,  good-natured,  wholesome  to  look  upon, 
cleanly  in  habit,  and  frank  in  social  intercourse  seemed  the 
Martinicans  of  Saint  Pierre,  one  and  all,  white,  coloured, 
and  black.  They  seemed  ever  busy,  yet  always  with  abun- 
dant leisure,  these  gaiety-loving  Creoles,  and  the  port  of 
Saint  Pierre  was  a  favourite  one  with  sailors  of  every  clime. 
The  tourist  had  not  discovered  Saint  Pierre  long  previous 
to  the  seventies  and  eighties  of  the  nineteenth  century ;  but 
the  sailors  had  known  and  loved  it  for  many  a  decade.  Its 
broad  quays  were  always  covered  with  great  hogsheads  of 
sugar  and  molasses,  and  before  the  curving  shores  were 
anchored  the  ships  of  every  nationality,  moored  with 
anchors  out  ahead  and  cables  fastened  ashore.  For  there 
were  few  wharves  at  Saint  Pierre,  the  depth  of  the  water 
precluding  them  from  general  use;  but  the  strand  was  paved 
almost  its  entire  length  with  Belgian  blocks. 

Former  Attractions  of  Saint  Pierre.  Through  every 
side  street  ran  a  stream  from  the  hills,  and  if  the  traveller 
landed  early  in  the  morning,  near  the  break  of  day,  he 
would  find  these  gutters  in  service  for  the  washing  of 
babies,  poodles  and  dishes,  while  other  streams  led  to 
fountains  in  the  squares,  or  to  gardens  filled  with  rare 
plants.  The  city  had  a  fine  cathedral  and  bishop's  resi- 
dence, a  theatre  which  in  the  season  was  crowded  to  over- 
flowing, hotels,  the  best  in  the  island,  and  stores,  or  magacins, 
filled   with   the   finest  products   of   Paris   and    France.      The 


374  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST  INDIES 

morning  was  the  busiest  time ;  noon  was  almost  silent,  for 
the  people  were  then  taking  their  siestas ;  but  after  mid- 
afternoon  all  the  people  came  out  for  a  promenade  along 
the  Great  Street  overlooking  the  bay,  out  to  the  savane,  or 
natural  park,  and  perhaps  to  the  jardin  des  plantes,  near  the 
river  Roxelane.  where  bloomed  the  flowers  of  a  tropical 
paradise.  Here  were  gathered  in  this  garden  of  plants  at 
the  borders  of  Saint  Pierre  all  the  trees,  shrubs,  and  flower- 
ing plants  known  to  the  tropics.  Towering  palmistes,  with 
stems  100  feet  in  height,  lined  the  alUe,  where  gallant 
Martinicans  used  to  meet  to  fight  sham  duels,  a  la  Francaise ; 
sago,  areca,  and  mountain  palms  were  grouped  together  on 
little  islands  in  the  lake,  where  also  was  mirrored  the  grace- 
ful foliage  of  the  traveller's  tree,  wild  plantain,  and  screw- 
pine.  In  the  centre  of  the  Jardin  was  a  little  museum,  con- 
taining the  pressed  plants  and  stuffed  animals  of  the  island, 
and  at  one  end  there  dropped  from  the  cliffs  of  the  morne 
a  foaming,  lace-like  waterfall  into  a  rocky  basin  covered 
with  ferns.  A  visit  to  the  garden  was  instructive,  as  well  as 
refreshing ;  but  one  had  to  keep  sharp  watch  lest  there  might 
be  a  lurking  Fer-dc-Lance  in  the  undergrowth,  to  meet 
with  which   might  mean   death. 

Good  roads  led  out  from  Saint  Pierre  to  places  of  resort 
in  the  hills,  such  as  Morne  Rouge,  2,000  feet  up.  on  the  flank 
of  Pelee,  and  across  to  the  harbours  of  the  Windward  coast, 
while  a  small  steamer  connected  with  Fort  de  France,  the 
island's  capital.  This  city  was  the  commercial  emporium  of 
the  island,  and  here  were  gathered  the  wealthy,  the  cultured, 
and  the  fashionable,  or  made  it  frequent  visits. 

The  Fire-Blast  from  Pelee.  Saint  Pierre,  as  says  the  au- 
thor of  Cruising  in  the  Caribbees,  was  indeed  a  place  to  linger 
and  to  dream  in,  for  it  fascinated  one,  and  the  people  who 
dwelt  in  this  beautiful  place  had  a  soft  and  languorous 
beauty,  as  if  they  had  inbreathed  it  from  the  climate  and  en- 
vironment. But  into  this  scene  of  natural  loveliness,  French 
gaiety  and  abandon  came  sudden  destruction,  ruin  and  blight. 
On  J\Iay  8,  1902,  Alont  Pelee,  which  had  been  inactive  for 
fifty-one  years,  suddenly  burst  forth  with  scalding  steam, 
liquid  fire,  stifling  gas,  and  smothering  dust.  There  had 
been  warnings  of  disaster  for  several  weeks,  and  a  few  of 


MARTINIQUE  375 

the  inhabitants  had  made  their  way  over  the  mountains,  or 
by  boat  to  Fort  de  France.  But  the  great  majority  re- 
mained. The  priests  were  praying  in  the  cathedral  and 
churches,  the  authorities  ordered  the  people  to  stay.  .  .  . 
So  they  hoped  and  waited,  till  in  the  twinkling  of  an  eye 
the  whole  vast  mass  of  boiling,  blazing,  suffocating  mud  and 
ashes  burst  from  the  rent  and  torn  crater  of  Pelee,  rising 
miles  into  the  air,  to  fall  the  next  instant,  and  for  hours 
thereafter,  in  killing  blisters  and  deadly  fumes  and  choking 
lava-dust,  on  man  and  beast,  orchards  and  gardens,  houses 
and  streets, '  wharves  and  beaches,  boats  in  the  harbour, 
vessels  in  the  roadstead,  and  even  upon  ships  far  out  at  sea. 
Meanwhile  the  earth  was  rocking,  roofs  were  whirled  away 
by  tempests,  and  as  the  affrighted  crowds  rushed  down  the 
steep  streets  to  the  bay  the  sea  rose  in  an  immense  tidal 
wave  and  drowned  them  by  thousands.  In  the  gray  dawn 
of  that  May  morning  there  were  45,000  people  living  in 
Saint  Pierre.  Instead  of  sunrise  came  a  rain  of  fire,  amid 
which  the  whole  population,  shrieking,  wailing,  crazed, 
crammed  the  cathedral  only  to  die;  climbed  the  mountains 
and  sought  the  forests,  only  to  be  burned  or  buried  alive ; 
fled  to  the  river,  to  find  it  a  torrent  of  scalding  water ;  and 
to  the  sea,  only  to  meet  a  watery  grave.  At  noon  there 
was  but  one  living  individual  in  the  ruined  and  desolate 
city  of  Saint  Pierre,  and  he  was  a  negro  prisoner,  burned,  but 
not  dead,  in  a  subterranean  dungeon,  where  he  had  been 
confined  for  crime. 

Every  vessel  in  port  was  sunk  at  its  moorings  or  burned 
to  the  water's  edge  in  a  few  moments.  The  only  ship  that 
escaped  from  the  accursed  place  was  the  British  steamer 
Roddam,  commanded  by  Captain  E.  W.  Freeman.  This 
ship  had  just  made  anchor,  and  her  captain  was  conversing 
with  her  agent  at  Saint  Pierre,  who  had  come  off  in  a  boat, 
when,  with  a  horrible  roar,  a  burning  mass  from  the  volcano 
struck  the  steamer  and  enveloped  her  completely.  Every- 
body and  everything  above  deck  was  destroyed  in  an  instant, 
and  those  who  had  sought  shelter  in  the  cabin  or  chart-room 
were  terribly  burned.  Luckily  for  the  survivors  of  her  crew, 
the  Roddam  had  steam  up.  and  so  was  able  to  slip  her  cable; 
but  even  then  some  of  the  firemen  and  engineers  down  below 


376  A  GUIDE  TO  'THE  WEST   INDIES 

were  badly  burned.  However,  the  captain,  though  blistered 
and  blinded  by  the  hot  ashes  and  glowing  cinders  (for  the 
ship  had  been  struck  by  a  great  wall  of  flame),  stuck  to  the 
helm,  and  after  seven  hours  of  agonising  labour  succeeded 
in  getting  into  the  harbour  of  Castries,  St.  Lucia.  He  had 
been  obliged  to  steam  past  the  less  fortunate  Roraima,  which 
was  a  mass  of  flame,  unable  to  assist  her  crew,  whose 
screams  rose  above  the  bowlings  of  the  blasts.  When  the 
Roddam  arrived  at  Castries  ten  of  her  crew  were  lying  dead 
upon  her  deck,  while  the  deck  itself  was  covered  with  cinders. 

An  Eye-witness  of  the  Eruption.  At  least  twt)  of  the  eye- 
witnesses of  the  eruption  gave  intelligible  accounts  after 
recovering  from  their  terrible  experience.  The  first  was 
Chief  Officer  Scott,  of  the  "Quebec  Line"  steamer  Roraima, 
which  was  destroyed  at  her  moorings.  'Tt  was  about 
8  o'clock,"  he  said,  "and  I  was  standing  on  the  main  deck, 
expecting  to  hear  the  breakfast  bell.  I  was  looking  toward 
Pelee,  watching  the  vast  column  of  smoke,  and  there  was 
not  the  slightest  warning  of  what  was  to  occur.  As  I  gazed, 
the  entire  top  of  the  mountain  was  riven  asunder.  It  seemed 
to  roll  into  the  air,  and,  still  rolling,  go  plunging  down  the 
mountain-side  in  tremendous  spirals  of  jet  black  smoke 
with  red  fire.  It  was  as  if  a  solid  wall  of  fire  and  smoke  had 
been  belched  forth.  A  great  volume  of  molten  matter  was 
hurled  through  the  air.  boulders  and  stones  of  all  sizes  and 
shapes  came  hurtling  down  upon  the  terrified  city,  dealing 
a  death  that  left  no  time  for  even  a  thought  of  escape  or  a 
whispered  prayer. 

'T  rushed  for  the  protection  of  the  forecastle,  but  fell  on 
the  way,  and  over  me  fell  ten  of  the  crew,  every  one  of 
whom  was  killed  instantly,  and  I  only  left  alive.  I  owed 
my  life  to  those  ten  dead  men,  who  protected  me  from  the 
flames ;  but  one  of  my  hands,  which  protruded,  was  badly 
burned,  and  I  was  injured  internally  by  some  of  the  burning 
gas,  which  I  inhaled.  The  Roraima  rolled  to  port  and 
then  suddenly  to  starboard,  carrying  away  smokestacks  and 
boats,  the  molten  mass  staving  in  the  hatches  and  setting  fire 
to  the  ship  in  several  places,  striking  men,  women,  and 
children  instantly  dead.  The  saloon  blazed  up,  and  then 
came  a  rain  of  small  stones.    It  was  as  if  red,  glowing  coals 


Victor  Hugo  Street,  St.  Pierre 
(Before  the  Eruption) 


MARTINIQUE  377 

were  being  heaped  upon  our  heads,  followed  by  a  shower  of 
hot  mud.  The  darkness  of  the  harbour  was  appalling,  the 
only  light  coming  from  the  burning  of  the  city  and  the 
blazing  end  of  our  own  ship." 

Among  other  ships  lost  at  that  time  was  the  cable  ship 
Grappler,  with  all  on  board,  fifty-four  in  number.  The  sea 
was  covered  with  corpses,  the  shores  strewn  with  wreckage ; 
in  the  city  of  what  was  once  Saint  Pierre  the  walls  were 
calcined  by  the  terrible  heat  and  had  crumbled  to  fragments. 
All  the  streets  were  filled  with  debris,  and  thus  the  30.000 
unfortunate  people  so  suddenly  overwhelmed  were  buried 
deep  in  tombs  constructed  in  an  instant  of  time.  This  fact 
alone  saved  the  locality  from  being  *swept  by  a  pestilence ;  and 
over  the  desolate  area  visitors  may  now  wander  at  will,  save 
for  the  interposition  of  officers  of  the  law,  sent  down  from 
Fort  de  France  to  preserve  the  place  from  ravages  by  ghouls. 

How  St.  Pierre  May  Be  Visited.  It  was  a  long  time 
before  Nature  asserted  her  sway  within  the  confines  of  this 
dead  city,  but  now  the  tropical  luxuriance  of  vine  and  creeper 
has  done  something  to  redeem  the  desolation.  But  the 
once  beautiful  city  is  as  barren  as  Sahara,  another  Pompeii, 
over  the  ruins  of  which  stroll  visitors  from  foreign  parts 
and  natives  searching  for  relatives  of  whom  they  were  so 
suddenly  bereft;  but  never  again  will  it  hear  the  hum  of 
human  life  or  feel  the  vitalising  breath  of  commerce  in  the 
desolated  port.  Now  and  then  a  tourist  steamer  puts  into 
the  roadstead  with  a  permit  for  a  brief  call,  first  obtained 
at  Fort  de  France,  and  shoals  of  tourists  swarm  ashore  in 
small  boats,  armed  with  cameras.  There  they  remain  a  few 
hours,  sadly  inspecting  the  ruins,  gleaning  relics  from  the 
ashes,  and  then  depart,  leading  the  city  to  its  dead.  It 
presents  the  ghastly  appearance  of  a  vast  cemetery,  such  as 
Lafcadio  Hearn  once  described,  and,  with  the  prescience  of 
the  poet,  said:  "Some  day  there  will  be  a  great  change  in 
the  city  of  St.  Pierre.  .  .  .  The  green  host  will  move  down 
unopposed;  creepers  will  prepare  the  way.  dislocating  the 
tombs,  pulling  away  the  checkered  tiling;  then  will  come  the 
giants,  rooting  deeper,  feeling  for  the  dust  of  hearts,  grop- 
ing among  the  bones ;  and  all  that  Love  has  hidden  away 
shall  be  restored  to  Nature,  absorbed  into  the  rich  juices  of 


378  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST  INDIES 

her  verdure,  revitalised  in  her  bursts  of  colour,  resurrected 
in  her  upliftings  of  emerald  and  gold  to  the  great  sun." 

One  should  see  the  dead  city  by  moonlight,  if  possible,  or  at 
twilight,  with  the  ghastly  walls  silvered  by  soft  gleams 
or  touched  with  carmine  from  the  setting  sun.  To  the 
visitor  who  may  wish  to  tarry  longer  than  the  tourist  steamer 
gives  opportunity,  two  ways  of  reaching  St.  Pierre  are  open : 
by  water  and  by  land,  both  from  the  capital  city.  Fort  de 
France.  The  grand  roads  remain,  such  as  the  French  con- 
struct in  all  their  possessions,  home  or  colonial,  and  one 
may  obtain  carriages  at  Fort  de  France,  or  horses,  for  a 
ride  over  the  magnificent  highway  via  the  Morne  des  Cadets, 
where  is  situated  a  government  observatory.  The  distance 
is  i8  miles,  of  scenery  unequalled  anywhere  outside  the  West 
Indies.  One  of  the  numerous  scientific  men  who  hastened 
to  Martinique  to  study  the  volcanic  phenomena  immediately 
after  the  outburst  exclaims  with  enthusiasm :  "  .  .  .  This 
road  winds  through  mountain  gorges,  traverses  the  heart 
of  a  primeval  wilderness,  and  never  had  I  dreamed  of  such 
tropical  profusion.  One  should  travel  it  to  know  what  a 
tropical  forest  is  like.  You  cannot  imagine,  you  cannot 
describe  it !" 

The  water  route  from  Fort  de  France  is  more  easily 
traversed  than  that  by  land,  and  though  it  lacks  the  interest 
of  the  latter,  is  not  without  its  charms,  for  the  coast  scenery 
of  the  island  is  varied  and  attractive.  A  small  coastal  steamer 
makes  the  trip  at  regular  intervals,  and  may  also  be  chartered 
as  far  as  the  fishing  village  of  Carbet,  which,  though  only 
2  miles  from  St.  Pierre,  miraculously  escaped  its  dreadful 
fate.  It  was  on  a  cliff  above  and  not  far  from  Carbet,  on 
the  summit  of  Morne  d'Orange,  that  the  great  white  statue 
of  the  "Sailors'  Virgin"  stood,  with  arms  outstretched,  as  if 
to  defend  the  city  of  Saint  Pierre  from  harm;  but  this,  too, 
was  prostrated  by  the  whirlwind  of  fire,  as  well  as  the 
immense  image  of  Christ  that  overlooked  the  bay. 

From  Carbet  rowboats  will  take  one  to  St.  Pierre,  where 
passengers  with  permits  can  land  and  view  the  ruins ;  but 
as  there  are  no  accommodations  for  travellers  at  any  place 
along  this  coast  one  should  be  careful  not  to  miss  connec- 
tion with  the  returning  steamer  to  Fort  de  France. 


MARTINIQUE  379 

The  Capital  of  Martinique.  Fort  de  France  (25,000  pop- 
ulation), now  the  chief  city  of  Martinique,  is  built  on  a  deep 
bay  almost  at  the  level  of  the  sea.  It  is  the  seat  of  govern- 
ment, also  a  French  naval  station,  and  the  residence  of  the 
governor,  general  secretary,  and  all  chiefs  of  service. 
Founded  in  1673,  it  was  at  first  known  as  Fort  Royal ;  but 
that  name  was  changed  when  France  became  Republican. 
The  situation  of  Fort  de  France,  between  two  rivers,  the 
Riviere  Madame  and  Riviere  Monsieur,  in  a  deep  and 
sheltered  bay,  gives  it  a  strategic  importance  which  the 
French  have  not  undervalued,  and  in  olden  times  it  was  the 
rendezvous  of  great  fleets.  From  this  bay  sailed  De  Grasse, 
in  May,  1782,  to  be  defeated  by  Rodney,  and  to  lose  for  his 
nation  all  the  prestige  it  had  acquired  in  centuries  on  the 
sea.  The  great  fortress  commanding  the  bay  is  also  historic, 
and  has  played  an  important  part  in  the  encounters  between 
French  and  English,  when  they  were  fighting  for  supremacy 
in  the  Caribbean  Sea.  It  should  be  visited,  and  from  its 
parapets  one  should  look  across  the  landlocked  bay  to  planta- 
tion La  Pagerie.  There,  near  the  town  of  Trois  Ilets,  the 
Empress  Josephine  was  born.  A  fine  statue  of  her  stands  in 
the  savanc,  carved  from  pure  white  marble,  which  has  been 
pronounced  the  loveliest  creation  of  its  kind  in  the  West 
Indies.  This  statue  will  claim  the  attention  of  the  visitor 
immediately  a  landing  is  made,  on  account  of  its  beauty 
and  its  historic  significance.  The  poise  of  the  draped  figure 
is  superb,  and  the  queenly  head  is  turned  in  the  direction 
of  Trois  Ilcts.  The  youthful  days  of  Josephine  were 
passed  at  or  near  Trois  Ilets  and  Fort  Royal,  and  until  she 
was  fifteen  she  and  her  parents  lived  in  the  sugar-mill  of  the 
estate  of  La  Pagerie,  as  the  dwelling-house  had  been  de- 
stroyed by  a  hurricane.  The  ruins  of  this  building,  the  estate 
itself,  and  the  church  at  Trois  Ilets  (where  Josephine  was 
baptized)  are  the  chief,  if  not  only,  objects  remaining  identi- 
fied with  the  life  of  this  famous  woman,  first  wife  of  the 
First  Napoleon. ""^  The  place  may  be  reached  by  small  boats, 
by  a  pleasant  sail  across  Fort  Royal  Bay.  There  are  no 
hotels  there,  and  the  journey  should  be  made  by  daylight. 

The  City  of  Fort  de  France  is  regularly  built  on  level 
*See  F.  A.  Ober's  Li/e  of  the  Empress  Josephine. 


38o  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST   INDIES 

ground,  with  streets  crossing  at  right  angles,  and  contains, 
besides  the  objects  already  mentioned,  a  cathedral,  a  military 
hospital,  a  town-hall,  a  library,  the  bishop's  palace,  a  colonial 
bank,  a  dry-dock,  arsenal,  and  the  workshops  of  the  General 
Transatlantic  Company,  whose  headquarters  are  here.  It  has 
suffered  severely  from  earthquakes  in  the  past,  though  the 
more  recent  catastrophe  of  Pelee  did  not  affect  it,  except 
indirectly.  To  this  point  all  the  refugees  fled  from  Saint 
Pierre  and  the  devastated  country,  so  that  for  a  long  time 
the  entire  district  was  congested.  It  is  well  known  that 
every  country  nobly  and  quickly  responded  to  the  appeal  for 
relief,  and  that  the  United  States  especially  was  prompt  and 
generous,  sending  steamers  with  supplies  at  once.  One  of 
the  first  foreigners  on  the  ground  was  Louis  H.  Ayme,  then 
American  consul  at  Guadeloupe,  who  promptly  took  charge 
of  the  relief  forces,  and,  with  his  knowledge  of  French,  his 
indefatigable  activity,  and  vast  resources,  trained  in  our 
diplomatic  service,  rendered  invaluable  assistance  to  the 
stricken  people  and  the  authorities.  He  sent  the  first  infor- 
mation of  the  catastrophe  to  Europe  and  the  United  States, 
and  his  personal  narrative,  though  substantiated  at  every 
point,  reads  like  a  story  of  romance. 
The  most  attractive  portion  of  Fort  de  France  lies  around 
the  savane,  or  great  central  park,  adorned  with  immense 
trees,  chief  among  which  are  tamarinds  and  palms.  The 
statue  of  Josephine,  already  referred  to,  was  at  one  time 
surrounded  by  majestic  palmist es,  planted  at  the  time  the 
statue  was  erected.  In  the  hills  above  the  city  are  some 
thermal  springs,  the  Fontaine  Chaude,  the  w^aters  of  which 
possess  curative  properties,  and  are  conducted  to  well-built 
bath-houses,  where  luxurious  baths  may  be  had  for  a  small 
fee.  Not  far  from  this  spot  was  at  one  time  the  place  of 
exile  of  King  Behanzin,  the  cruel  potentate  of  Dahomey, 
whose  victims  were  numbered  by  hundreds,  and  for  whose 
crimes  the  French  banished  him  to  Martinique.  There  he 
was  made  a  "lion"  of,  instead  of  being  put  in  solitary  con- 
finement, as  he  should  have  been,  and  was  visited  by  thou- 
sands. Together  with  all  his  wives  and  suite  of  black  fol- 
lowers he  was  returned  to  Africa  in  1905,  and  there  is  said 
to  have  died,  far  from  his  home. 


MARTINIQUE  381 

The  landscape  about  Fort  de  France  is  very  pleasing,  and  as 
well-built  roads  extend  from  the  capital  in  every  direction, 
it  may  be  made  the  place  of  departure  for  various  points 
of  the  interior  and  Windward  coast  country.  Huge  rounded 
hills  come  down  to  the  sea  between  this  place  and  Saint 
Pierre,  where  they  are  abruptly  cut  down,  and  look  very 
much  like  immense  Dutch  cheeses,  affording  the  geologist 
a  glimpse  of  many  different  strata.  By  a  complete  system 
of  post  roads  the  entire  island  (save  the  devastated  section, 
which  covers  about  one-fourth  the  total  area,  in  the  north- 
ern part)  is  placed  in  communication  with  the  capital. 
Nothing  can  exceed  the  beauty  of  the  journeys  over  these 
roads,  and  were  accommodations  for  the  traveller  as  good 
as  formerly,  they  would  be  recommended  without  reserve. 
As  it  is,  if  the  explorer  will  take  the  chances  of  a  hospitable 
reception  at  the  plantations  and  in  the  humble  cots  of  the 
peasant  proprietors,  he  can  do  no  better  than  hire  a  con- 
veyance at  Fort  de  France  and  set  out  for  the  northern 
coast.  Should  he  desire  to  venture  so  far  as  the  summit 
of  Pelee  (a  journey  not  without  its  dangers),  the  ascent  can 
best  be  made  from  the  bay  of  Lorraine,  on  the  northeast 
coast.  Pelee  has  changed  its  shape  so  often  since  the  great 
eruption  (at  one  time  thrusting  up  a  rock  pinnacle  1,000  feet 
in  height,  which  has  since  disappeared)  that  there  is  no  tell- 
ing what  will  happen  next,  and  one  should  venture  up  the 
cone  with  greatest  caution.  Guides  may  be  had  at  Lorraine, 
and,  in  order  to  ascertain  what  is  in  store  for  one  in  the 
ascent,  one  should  read  the  accounts  of  the  various  explorers 
who  have  made  it  since  the  eruption,  such  as  those  of  Heil- 
prin  and  Kennan. 

Hotels  of  Martinique.  The  hotels  of  unfortunate  Saint 
Pierre  were  celebrated  throughout  all  the  West  Indies  for 
their  excellent  tables  and  service ;  but  they  have  passed 
away,  overwhelmed  in  the  eruption,  and  only  at  Fort  de 
France  can  we  find  any  hostelries  for  the  entertainment  of 
travellers.  Of  these,  the  "Family  Hotel"  of  Madame  Noel, 
Nos.  50  and  52  Rue  Schoelcher,  is  probably  the  best.  It  is 
well  equipped  with  electric  lights  and  all  improvements,  and 
is  a  refined  and  homelike  place.  Rates :  10  francs  ($2)  per 
day.    The  "Hotel  de  I'Europe"  has  the  same  rates,  and  ac- 


382  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST   INDIES 

commodates  fifty;  the  "Grand"  has  rooms  for  twenty  at 
8  francs  per  day;  the  "Hotel  des  Paqueboats,"  sixteen,  at 
10  francs ;  and  the  "Hotel  des  Families"  half  that  number, 
at  Q  francs  per  day.  There  are  also  boarding-houses,  where, 
as  some  of  the  residents  here  speak  irreproachable  French,  it 
might  be  desirable  to  arrange  for  a  winter's  stay,  if  one 
should  desire  to  cultivate  that  language,  French,  it  should 
be  said  in  passing,  is  the  speech  of  the  island,  as  well  as  of 
Guadeloupe ;  and  though  the  natives  generally  speak  an  un- 
couth patois,  in  the  towns  there  are  many  residents  who 
preserve  the  language  in  its  purity.  The  English  islands  are 
so  near,  and  communication  with  them  is  so  frequent,  that 
bright  little  boys  as  interpreters  may  'be  found  on  almost 
every  street  and  corner. 

Towns  and  Communes.  There  is  but  one  city  now.  Fort 
de  France,  with  about  25,000  inhabitants ;  but  scattered  along 
the  shores  of  the  island,  south  coast  and  north  coast.  Lee- 
ward and  Windward,  are  many  petit  hoiirgs  and  communes, 
towns  and  parishes,  which  are  quaint  and  interesting.  The 
settlements  once  existing  in  the  north  end  of  the  island, 
from  Saint  Pierre  around  to  Basse  Pointe,  are  practically 
extinct,  and  the  country  between  the  two  shores  was  rendered 
desolate  by  Pelee  to  the  extent  of  about  one-fourth  the 
island's  area.  In  the  northeast  we  still  find  the  cornmune 
of  Lorraine,  in  the  canton  ol  Basse  Pointe,  on  the  seashore, 
at  the  mouth  of  a  river  of  the  same  name,  noted  for  its  rich 
fields  of  sugar-cane.  It  contains  about  6,000  inhabitants,  and 
from  this  place  there  is  a  road  or  trail  to  the  summit  of 
Pelee.  Formerly  the  trails  leading  up  from  the  south  coast 
were  taken  by  the  traveller,  but  these  are  now  impracticable. 

On  the  mid-north  coast  we  find  the  beautiful  town  of 
Trinite,  on  a  bay  of  the  same  name,  protected  by  the  Cara- 
velle  Peninsula — a  very  important  place  of  some  7,000  inhab- 
itants, with  sugar  factories,  rum  distilleries,  etc.  In  the  same 
canton  are  Marigot  and  Ste.  Marie,  the  former  a  town  of 
2,000,  with  very  rich  land  devoted  to  the  culture  of  cane, 
the  latter  a  large  and  wealthy  commune  on  the  seashore, 
with  cane  lands  and  a  sugar  factory,  and  with  secondary 
cultures  in  vanilla,  cacao,  and  native  vegetables.  Both  these 
places  are  to  the  north  of  Trinite,   south  of  which  opens 


MARTINIQUE  383 

the  large  bay  of  Robert,  with  a  commune  of  9,000  inhab- 
itants, situated  mainly  on  an  eminence  near  its  harbour,  and 
abounding  in  rich  lands  cultivated  in  sugar-cane,  limes,  and 
vegetables. 

South  of  Robert  lies  the  bay  of  Franqoise,  with  its  com- 
mune of  about  12,000  people,  an  important  agricultural 
centre,  with  a  sugar  factory,  or  usine,  and  a  fine  cathedral 
church.  Lamentin,  with  nearly  14,000  inhabitants,  lies  oppo- 
site Fort  de  France,  east,  with  which  it  is  connected  by  a 
canal.  It  is  a  commercial  centre,  with  sugar  and  rum  fac- 
tories, but  is  not  healthful,  as  it  contains  some  marshes. 
The  same  may  be  said  of  Grand  Boiirg,  a  commune  of  6,000, 
also  situated  on  a  marshy  plain,  and  connected  with  the 
capital  by  a  navigable  canal.  These  marshes  are  noted  as  a 
hunting-ground  for  marsh  and  water-fowl,  and  are  much 
sought  by  hunters.  In  this  canton  of  Lamentin  is  St.  Joseph, 
at  only  12  kilometers  distance  from  Fort  de  France,  a  com- 
mune of  some  10,000  people,  with  an  elevated,  healthful,  and 
picturesque  site.  Northward,  and  near  to  Trinite,  is  another 
salubrious  commune,  that  of  Gros  Morne,  wuth  9,000  inhab- 
itants. It  is  celebrated  for  its  temperate  climate,  its  fine 
scenery,  and  its  situation,  being  at  an  altitude  of  about 
1. 000  feet,  at  the  junction  of  roads  from  Lamentin,  Robert 
and  Trinite.  At  Vaiiclin,  on  the  southeast  coast  of  the  island, 
the  best  coffee  and  cacao  are  grown.  It  is  an  important 
country  town,  of  about  7,500  population,  and  contains  a 
usine  and  distillery.  Near  this  place  is  Esprit,  near  a  bay  of 
the  same  name,  a  place  of  6,000  inhabitants,  with  a  healthful 
climate  and  fertile  lands  cultivated  in  sugar-cane,  cacao,  and 
vanilla. 

Towns  of  the  Leeward  Coast.  Now  that  St.  Pierre  is 
obliterated,  the  northernmost  habitable  town  on  the  Leeward, 
or  Caribbean,  coast  is  Carhet,  containing  some  5.000  inhab- 
itants. It  is  in  the  district  of  the  North,  canton  of  Mouillage, 
and  well  situated  on  the  seashore.  This  commune  was  par- 
tially destroyed  by  the  eruption  from  Pelee,  May  8.  1902, 
and  evacuated  in  consequence,  but  afterward  reoccupied.  It 
is  to-day  one  of  the  most  important  of  the  country  towns, 
and,  from  its  proximity  to  St.  Pierre,  is  taken  as  the  point 
of  departure  for  boats  and  small  steamers  destined  for  the 


384  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST  INDIES 

ruined  city.  The  lands  around  are  cultivated  in  sugar-cane; 
there  are  distilleries  of  rum  in  the  place,  but  it  depends 
largely  upon  its  fisheries  and  the  patronage  of  visitors  to  the 
ill-fated  city  only  two  miles  away.  Tradition  states  that  it 
was  at  Carbet  that  Columbus  landed  on  his  fourth  voyage, 
1502,  and  also  the  first  French  settlers  of  the  island,  in  1635. 

Case  Pilot,  a  commune  of  3.000  people,  in  the  canton  of 
Mouillage,  sits  on  the  seashore  between  Carbet  and  the 
capital,  and  depends  for  subsistence  upon  its  local  fisheries. 
Annexed  to  it  is  the  village  of  Belle  Fontaine. 

Trois  Ilcts,  in  the  canton  of  Diamant,  lies  on  the  bay  of 
Fort  de  France,  its  southern  shore,  8  kilometers  distant  from 
the  capital.  It  is  a  commune  of  about  4,000  inhabitants.  Its 
chief  claim  to  fame  consists  in  having  been  the  birthplace  of 
the  Empress  Josephine.  She  was  born  at  La  Pagerie,  about 
2  miles  distant  from  the  town,  but  wnthin  the  commune. 
The  church  in  which  she  was  baptized  still  stands,  and  herein 
is  a  memorial  tablet  to  her  mother,  Madame  Rose  Claire 
Duverger  de  Sanois.  It  is  at  the  left  of  the  altar,  and  on 
the  right  was  a  painting  presented  to  the  church  by  Napo- 
leon I.  La  Pagerie,  2  miles  west  of  Trois  Ilets,  lies  within  a 
narrow  vale,  which  was  occupied  by  the  father  of  Josephine 
as  a  sugar  estate,  and  here  may  be  seen  the  ruins  of  the  house 
in  which  she  was  born  and  the  old  factory  or  sugar-house  in 
which  she  lived  as  a  child.  The  south  coast  of  Martinique 
has  a  fascinating  history,  as  well  as  interesting  towns,  but 
is  seldom  visited. 

Anse  d'Arlets,  directly  south  of  Trois  Ilets,  is  a  commune 
of  3,OGO  people,  on  the  seashore  near  the  promontory  of 
Salomon.  The  village  is  attractive,  and  on  the  hills  are 
plantations  of  cacao,  coffee,  and  cotton.  There  is  a  hot 
spring  in  the  vicinity. 

Diamant,  on  the  picturesque  bay  of  the  same  name,  lies  east 
of  Arlets,  on  a  creek  that  makes  out  upon  a  beautiful  strand. 
The  canton  contains  about  3,000  inhabitants,  and  the  soil 
produces  cotton,  cane,  corn,  and  quassia.  It  is  more  than 
locally  celebrated  on  account  of  an  isolated  rock  about  half 
a  mile  from  shore,  which  during  the  wars  of  the  eighteenth 
century  was  seized  by  an  English  admiral  and  fortified.  It 
is  nearly  600  feet  in  height,  and  its  cliffs  are  nearly  perpen- 


MARTINIQUE  385 

dicular,  but  the  British  sailors  secured  a  foothold  on  its 
summit,  where  they  mounted  several  guns  and  stored  away 
provisions.  Then  a  crew  was  left  to  man  the  guns,  which 
they  turned  against  every  Frenchman  that  ventured  within 
range.  Various  attempts  were  made  to  dislodge  them,  but 
they  gallantly  held  the  position  until  their  provisions  failed, 
when  they  were  compelled  to  surrender.  This  stronghold 
was  christened  "His  Majesty's  Ship-of-War  Diamond  Rock," 
and  as  such  was  entered  on  the  British  Admiralty  lists. 

The  coast  road  continues  from  Diamant  easterly  through 
the  unhealthy  town  of  Stc.  Luce  (2,000  inhabitants)  to 
Riviere  Pilote,  in  the  south  of  the  island,  with  9,000  residents. 
It  is  about  2  miles  from  the  coast,  in  a  hollow  which  was 
probably  the  crater  of  a  volcano,  now  extinct.  The  locality 
is  picturesque,  but  insalubrious. 

Marin,  a  canton  of  5,000  inhabitants,  at  the  end  of  a  deep 
but  shallow  bay,  to  the  eastward  of  Riviere  Pilote,  has  a 
healthful  climate  and  fertile  soil  cultivated  in  cane,  a  sugar 
factory,  and  rum  distillery.  Ste.  Anne  is  a  village  (3,000) 
in  the  extreme  south  of  the  island,  near  which  are  large 
but  abandoned  salt  works  and  a  valley  of  petrifactions. 

All  the  towns  enumerated  are  reached  by  good  post  roads 
and  connected  with  the  capital  by  telegraph.  But  for  the 
various  disasters  which  the  island  has  suffered — earthquakes, 
fires,  and  volcanic  eruptions — it  would  be  extremely  flour- 
ishing, but  at  present  the  people  are  extremely  dispirited. 
Aside  from  the  convulsions  of  nature,  they  had  an  enemy 
to  contend  against  in  the  poisonous  Fcr-de-Lance,  a  for- 
midable serpent  which  abounds  in  this  island  and  in  St. 
Lucia.  As  in  the  latter  island,  how^ever,  the  East  Indian 
mongoose,  which  was  introduced  several  years  ago,  has 
reduced  the  number  of  these  reptiles  considerably,  so  that 
the  deaths  from  its  venom  are  not  so  numerous  as  formerly. 

Historical  Sketch.  Martinique  was  discovered  by  Co- 
lumbus in  1502,  but  was  first  colonised  by  the  French  in 
1635.  In  common  with  other  isles  of  the  Caribbean  chain,  its 
ownership  was  fiercely  contested  by  the  British,  who  seized 
it  in  1762,  1781,  1794,  and  1809,  but  finally  restored  it  to  the 
French  in  1814,  by  whom  it  has  ever  since  been  held.  Thus 
the  population  is  completely  French  in  speech  and  manners, 


386  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST   INDIES 

though  the  whites  have  so  steadily  dwindled  since  the  emanci- 
pation of  the  slaves  that  but  few  of  them  are  left  in  an  island 
which  was  formerly  the  centre  of  culture  and  refinement. 
The  population,  then,  is  mainly  black  and  coloured,  though 
it  is  still  dense  enough,  not  long  ago  having  been  estimated 
at  182,000,  with  an  area  at  the  outside  of  380  square  miles. 

Means  of  Communication.  The  "Quebec  Line"  de- 
spatches a  ship  every  ten  days  from  New  York  to  Demerara 
and  return,  touching  at  all  the  islands,  including  Martinique. 
The  "Royal  Mail,"  from  New  York  and  from  Southampton, 
England,  connects  at  Barbados  with  its  intercolonial  service 
through  the  islands  regularly.  Fares  same  as  for  Dominica 
and  St.  Lucia. 

An  intercolonial  auxiliary  steamer  leaves  Fort  de  France 
once  a  month  for  Cayenne,  as  follows :  Fort  de  France,  23d ; 
St.  Lucia,  23d ;  Trinidad,  24th ;  Demerara,  26th ;  Surinam, 
27th  ;  Cayenne,  28th.  Return  :  Cayenne,  3d  ;  Surinam,  4th  ; 
Demerara.  5th ;  Trinidad,  7th ;  Saint  Lucia,  8th ;  Fort  de 
France,  9th. 

Intercolonial  boat  between  Fort  de  France  and  Port  au 
Prince  leaves  Fort  de  France,  30th;  Pointe  a  Pitre,  ist; 
Basse  Terre,  ist;  Saint  Thomas,  2d;  Ponce,  Porto  Rico,  4th; 
Mayaguez,  4th;  Santo  Domingo  City,  6th;  Jacmel,  7th;  Port 
au  Prince,  9th.  Return :  Port  au  Prince,  9th ;  Petit  Goave, 
loth;  Jeremie,  loth;  Santiago  de  Cuba,  nth;  Les  Cayes, 
I2th;  Jacmel,  14th;  Santo  Domingo,  15th;  Mayaguez,  i6th ; 
Ponce,  17th;  Saint  Thomas,  i8th ;  Basse  Terre,  Guadeloupe, 
20th;  Pointe  a  Pitre,  20th;  Fort  de  France,  22d. 


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ST.  LUCIA 

General  Survey  of  the  Island.  The  greatest  length  of 
St.  Lucia,  sometimes  called  Santa  Lucia,  is  27  miles,  and 
its  greatest  breadth  14  miles.  It  has  a  superficial  area  of 
about  240  square  miles,  and  is  the  largest  as  well  as  the 
most  northerly  of  the  group  known  as  the  Windward  Islands, 
the  government  of  which  is  vested  in  a  governor  whose  head 
office  is  at  Grenada,  with  a  local  administrator  at  St. 
Lucia.  The  island  is  volcanic,  with  high  hills  and  moun- 
tains tossed  into  wild  shapes,  rugged  and  irregular,  with 
deep  and  fertile  valleys  between  their  ridges  and  slopes. 
These  hills  are  covered  with  a  virgin  forest,  and  valuable 
cabinet  woods  fill  the  valleys,  through  which  run  rapid  and 
attractive  streams.  Bay  and  headland,  cove  and  sandy  beach, 
succeed  one  another  all  the  way  around  St.  Lucia's  coast, 
with  high  cliffs  standing  out,  and  all  with  a  background  of 
forest. 

An  irregular  mountain  chain  runs  through  the  centre  of 
the  island,  sending  spurs  off  right  and  left,  the  principal 
elevations  being  Morne  Gimie  and  Piton  Canaries,  each  a 
little  over  3.000  feet  in  height;  Morne  Casteau,  2,940;  Morne 
Cochon,  2,860;  and  the  two  pointed  mountains,  known  as 
the  Gros  Piton,  2.620,  and  the  Petit  Piton,  2.460.  These 
Pitons  are  by  far  the  most  impressive  objects  in  the  island. 
Situated  in  the  southwestern  part  of  the  island,  where  they 
guard  a  beautiful  bay,  they  look  like  verdant  cones,  or 
pyramids,  tall  and  symmetrical,  and  being  detached  from 
the  main  ridge  of  mountains,  appear  as  if  thrust  directly  up 
from  the  floor  of  the  sea.  Not  very  far  from  them,  and  kn 
the  same  region,  is  another  natural  curiosity,  though  not  so 
peculiar  to  the  island  as  the  Pitons — the  Soitfricre,  or 
Sulphur  Mountain.  Its  crater  is  the  feature  that  draws 
the  visitor  hither,  for  it  is  only  i.ooo  feet  above  the  sea  and 
very  accessible  by  boat  from  Castries,  the  capital  and  chief 
port,  to  the  town  of  Soufriere. 

Flora  and  Fauna.     As   a    large  portion  of   the   island   is 


388  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST   INDIES 

uncultivated,  great  forests  exist  in  the  interior,  covering 
hill  slopes  and  filling  vales,  as  already  mentioned.  There 
are  more  than  sixty  trees  in  St.  Lucia  valuable  for  their 
woods,  forty  to  fifty  fruits,  chiefly  tropical,  and  ten  species 
of  spices,  with  every  variety  of  flower,  growing  wild  and 
in  cultivation  (in  the  fields  and  forests,  and  shown  in  the 
Botanical  Garden  at  Castries),  that  the  tropics  can  produce. 
So  much  for  its  flora.  The  island  fauna,  however,  is  com- 
paratively insignificant,  comprising  some  sixty  or  seventy 
species  of  birds,  including  three  "hummers"  and  several 
mammals.  These  latter  are  the  aguti,  the  armadillo,  and 
perhaps  a  few  wild  hogs.  The  iguana  is  hunted  for  its  flesh, 
which,  though  the  reptile  is  repulsive  enough  in  appearance, 
is  white  and  palatable  when  well  cooked.  There  is  some 
hunting  in  the  island,  the  chief  game  being  wild  pigeons, 
called  ramiers,  partridges  or  doves,  and  in  the  winter  a  few 
migrant  plover. 

Climate  and  Snakes.  St.  Lucia  has  two  enemies  inimical 
to  its  well-being  in  its  climate  and  its  serpents.  The  climate 
is  not,  however,  so  deadly  as  has  often  been  reported,  for 
the  death-rates  of  regiments  quartered  in  unsanitary  loca- 
tions should  not  be  taken  as  criteria  by  which  to  judge  the 
island's  healthfulness.  The  mere  fact  that  commercial  men 
and  officials  (whom  the  writer  has  known  or  been  cognisant 
of  for  nearly  a  generation)  dwell  the  year  through  in  a  hot, 
low-lying  spot  like  Castries — at  least  during  business  hours^ 
and  still  survive,  speaks  well  for  the  climate.  The  rank 
forest  growth,  the  lagoons  and  swamps,  generate  miasmatic 
effluences,  however,  which  it  will  behoove  a  stranger  to 
avoid.  The  mean  temperature  is  about  70  degrees  in  the  cool 
season  and  78  degrees  for  the  year,  with  an  occasional  ex- 
cursion into  the  nineties;  but  the  nights  are  nearly  always 
cooled  by  refreshing  breezes. 

If  St.  Lucia  had  nothing  worse  than  its  climate  it  might 
lay  claim  to  be  an  Eden  of  natural  delights ;  but  alas !  there 
is  a  serpent  in  this  Eden.  It  is  the  deadly  "Fer-de-Lance" 
(Craspedocephalus  lanceolatus),  a  peculiarly  repulsive  rep- 
tile, which  grows  to  a  length  of  six  or  seven  feet.  As  it  is 
doubtful  if  there  is  any  known  cure  for  its  bite,  as  it  often 
bites  without  warning  or  provocation,  and  as  it  is  abundant 


ST.  LUCIA  389 

in  cane  fields  as  well  as  forests,  the  natives  are  in  constant 
terror  of  it.  By  the  introduction  of  the  East  Indian  mon- 
goose, however,  it  is  being  reduced  in  number,  though  far 
from  being  exterminated.  The  fact  is  that  the  mongoose 
likes  other  food  besides  the  Fer-de-Lance,  and  raids  the 
hen-roosts  more  frequently  than  it  invades  the  serpents' 
dens.  There  is  another  snake  resident  in  the  island,  a  boa 
constrictor  some  10  feet  in  length,  called  the  Tete-Chien, 
which  is  harmless  to  human  beings,  but  "death  on"  chickens. 
Its  colour  is  black  with  yellow  markings.  The  Courcssc  is 
a  small  black  and  white  snake,  also  harmless ;  the  Cribo  is 
steel-blue  with  white  belly,  and  an  inveterate  enemy  of  the 
Fer-de-Lance.  Finally,  to  close  this  review  of  animated 
nature  in  the  island,  the  numerous  streams  are  said  to 
contain  mullet  and  mudfish,  which  afford  good  sport  with 
rod  and  line,  while  fresh- water  crayfish  abound  in  all  of 
them. 

The  interior  of  the  island  contains  about.  40.000  acres  of 
"Croivn  Lands,"  open  to  settlement  at  20  shillings  an  acre, 
on  which  are  valuable  woods,  and  which  are  capable  of 
yielding  large  crops  of  native  vegetables.  They  constitute 
an  irregular  ellipse,  with  the  mountain  ridge  as  its  longi- 
tudinal axis,  and  lie  at  2  or  3  miles  distance  from  the  shores. 
Owing  to  the  bad  reputation  of  the  climate  and  the  exist- 
ence of  serpents  in  these  woods,  there  is  not  such  a  demand 
for  St.  Lucia's  wild  lands  as  for  those  of  Dominica,  St. 
Vincent,  Tobago,  or  Trinidad.  Climatical  and  physical 
features  are  about  the  same  in  all  these  islands ;  but  there 
are  no  noxious  snakes  in  the  others,  except  in  Trinidad  alone, 
where  the  poisonous  coral  snake  is  found. 

Agricultural  Possibilities.  St.  Lucia  has  always  been 
noted  for  its  rich  soil  and  abundant  facilities  for  successful 
tropical  agriculture,  and  so  long  ago  as  1650  tobacco,  ginger, 
and  cotton  were  raised  here,  to  be  succeeded  later  by  sugar- 
cane, coffee,  and  cacao.  The  first  settlers  and  planters  were 
French,  and  this  accounts  for  all  the  names  of  bays,  moun- 
tains, valleys,  rivers,  towns,  etc.,  being  French  instead  of 
English.  The  names  have  persisted,  and  also  the  speech  is 
spoken  by  all  the  natives,  who  are  more  French  than  any- 
thing else  in  language,  costume,  and  habitudes.     The  same 


390  A  GUIDE  TO   THE  WEST   INDIES 

may  be  said  of  Grenada  and  Dominica — also  English 
islands. 

Sugar-cane  cultivation  was  introduced  in  1765,  and  cojffee 
some  years  later;  but  so  late  as  1840  there  were  only 
100  sugar  and  coffee  estates  and  but  a  sixteenth  of  the  island 
under  cultivation.  Great  improvements  have  been  made  of 
late  in  sugar  production,  and  there  are  four  great  central 
factories,  or  tisincs,  in  the  rich  valleys  of  Mahoiiya,  Roseau, 
Grand  Ciil  de  Sac,  and  Vieux-Fort.  All  are  ''fitted  with  the 
newest  appliances  for  the  manufacture  of  crystals,"  and  the 
sugar  exported  annually  amounts  to  more  than  $200,000. 
This  island  is  peculiarly  adapted  to  the  cultivation  of  cacao, 
and  the  annual  output  is  surpassing  that  of  sugar,  which  is 
being  abandoned  for  this  more  attractive  culture.  Other 
native  products  of  the  island  are  tropical  fruits  and  vege- 
tables, fuel  and  cabinet  woods. 

"A  small  trade  is  carried  on  between  this  island  and  Bar- 
bados by  the  export  of  fresh  fruit  and  vegetables,  of  which 
St.  Lucia  produces  large  quantities  of  almost  all  known 
tropical  species,  and  also  fuel-wood. 

"Coffee  and  spices,  for  many  years  neglected,  are  now  being 
paid  more  attention. 

'Tn  1886  a  Botanic  Station  was  established  in  the  neighbour- 
hood of  Castries,  with  the  object  of  introducing  and  teaching 
the  best  methods  of  cultivation  and  preparation  and  distrib- 
uting among  planters  new  economic  plants.  Some  good  work 
has  been  done  in  both  directions,  and  the  garden  itself  pre- 
sents a  very  creditable  appearance.  This  garden  has  lately 
been  taken  over  by  the  Imperial  Department  of  Agriculture 
for  the  West  Indies,  which  was  started  in  1898  on  the  recom- 
mendation of  the  Royal  Commissioners  sent  out  in  1896  to  in- 
quire into  the  condition  of  the  West  Indies.  This  department 
has  as  its  duties  (i)  to  supervise  and  extend  the  work  of 
the  present  botanic  stations ;  (2)  to  start  industrial  schools 
for  training  boys  in  agricultural  pursuits;  (3)  to  encourage 
the  theoretical  (and  to  some  extent  the  practical)  teaching 
of  agriculture  in  elementary  schools ;  (4)  to  promote  the 
teaching  of  scientific  agriculture  in  colleges  and  schools ; 
(5)  to  organise  horticultural  shows  and  exhibitions  of  im- 
plements and  machinery  suitable  for  cultivating  and  curing 


ST.  LUCIA  391 

tropical  products;  and  (6)  to  prepare  bulletins,  leaflets  and 
other  literature  on  subjects  suitable  for  cultivation  in  the 
West  Indies."* 

Towns  and  Harbours.  Castries,  the  capital  of  St.  Lucia, 
lies  at  the  head  of  a  very  deep  harbour,  or  bay,  of  the  same 
name,  on  the  northwest  coast  of  the  island.  It  is  level  and 
regularly  laid  out,  with  wide,  straight  streets,  and  is  built 
chiefly  on  land  reclaimed  from  the 'harbour.  This  fact,  to- 
gether with  another  notorious  one — that  it  is  in  a  locality 
well  adapted  for  the  propagation  of  fevers — has  given  the 
island  a  reputation  for  unhealthfulness  which  it  does  not 
deserve,  for  there  are  many  places  noted  for  their  salubrity. 
The  I2.00O  inhabitants  of  Castries  live  in  some  1.200  build- 
ings, which  on  the  whole  are  not  pretentious  architecturally 
and  scarcely  worthy  of  mention.  The  chief  asset  of  Castries 
is  its  magnificent  harbour,  which  is  one  of  the  safest  and 
most  commodious  in  the  islands.  Though  its  entrance  is 
only  about  a  third  of  a  mile  across,  it  runs  inland  for  nearly 
a  mile  and  a  half,  with  an  average  width  of  three-quarters 
of  a  mile,  and  is  almost  entirely  hill-surrounded.  It  is  also 
the  most  completely  fortified  of  any  harbour  outside  the 
Bermudas,  for  it  was  long  ago  chosen  as  a  British  naval 
station  for  coaling  and  stores,  and  not  only  the  Vigie  head- 
land north  of  the  harbour  entrance  is  fortified,  but  the 
Cocoanuts  headland  to  the  south,  and  especially  the  ridge 
above  the  town. 

The  best  fesidences  are  to  be  found  on  Morne  Fortune 
and  the  encircling  hills,  for  the  lowlands  are  unsafe  for 
white  people  to  live  in.  In  fact,  they  cannot  live  there  at 
all  at  night,  and  after  dark  the  town  is  as  lonesome  as  a 
cemetery — to  which,  in  truth,  it  has  oft  been  likened.  Morne 
Fortune  is  a  hill  800  feet  in  height,  traversed  by  good  roads 
and  terraced,  and  here  most  of  the  troops  are  quartered. 
Here,  on  a  wide  terrace,  about  a  mile  from  town,  is  the  fine 
Government  House,  situated  430  feet  above  the  sea,  and  com- 
manding an  extensive  prospect.  Up  here  the  temperature  is 
much  cooler  than  below,  of  course,  and  the  evening  breezes 
render  the  situation  delightful,  while  in  the  town  below 
the  heat  is  almost  unendurable. 

*St.  Lucia  Handbook. 


392  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST  INDIES 

But  for  the  glorious  harbour  there  would  be  no  Castries, 
for  it  is  merely  a  coaling  station,  but  one  of  the  best  of  its 
kind  in  all  the  world.  Steamships  of  26  feet  draught  can 
go  right  up  to  the  wharf  and  receive  their  coal,  which  has 
been  supplied  in  emergencies  at  the  rate  of  140  tons  an 
hour.  And  it  is  not  delivered  by  means  of  machinery, 
either,  but  by  negro  women,  who  transport  it  in  baskets 
carried  on  their  heads,  as  at  St.  Thomas  and  some  other 
islands.  Water,  too,  pure  and  sweet,  is  supplied  from  the 
streams  that  come  down  from  the  mountains,  while  pro- 
visions, salt  and  fresh,  can  be  secured  here  in  any  quantity. 
Thus  it  is  a  favourite  port  of  call  for  men-of-war  and 
merchant  steamers ;  though  at  night,  or  toward  dawn  in  the 
morning,  when  the  city  is  being  cleansed  of  its  impurities, 
the  odours  that  come  from  shore  are  not  suggestive  of  spicy 
gales  from  groves  of  nutmeg  and  cinnamon ! 

The  town  itself,  though  hot  and  sometimes  evil-smelling, 
has  an  enterprising  population,  good  stores,  a  library,  three 
weekly  publications,  several  fine  churches,  a  good  market- 
place well  supplied  with  native  products,  and  a  very  attractive 
botanical  garden.  Plants  and  flowers  from  this  garden  are 
for  sale,  and  the  entire  list  of  economic  tropical  plants  suit- 
able for  growing  in  the  island  is  supplied  to  horticulturists 
at  extremely  low  prices.  There  is  the  customary  "ice-house" 
in  town,  where  "hard  and  soft  drinks"  can  be  obtained,  and 
several  hotels  and  boarding-houses. 

For  transferring  passengers  from  ships  in  the  harbour  to 
the  wharves,  and  vice  versa,  the  legal  tariff  for  boatmen  is 
a  shilling  each,  and  the  same  for  luggage,  not  exceeding 
100  pounds. 

Local  Steamers,  Leeward  Coast.  Two  small  steamers 
constitute  the  coast-line  service  between  Castries  and  Vieux- 
Fort,  at  the  extreme  south  end  of  the  island,  on  the  Lee- 
ward shore.  They  leave  Castries  at  i  p.m.,  and  are  due  at 
Vieux-Fort  at  5.30  p.m.,  touching  en  route  at  the  Soufriere 
(fare  3  shillings),  Choiseul  (4s.  6d.),  Laborie  (5s.  6d.), 
Vieux-Fort  (6  shillings).  Second-class  passage  half  first- 
class  fares ;  children  under  twelve,  also  half  fare. 

This  trip  affords  delightful  views,  including  the  lofty 
Mornes,   smiling  valleys,  sparkling  streams    ''tropic  vegeta- 


ST.  LUCIA  393 

tion  clothing  hill  and  vale),  the  interesting  villages,  sugar 
estates,  and  above  all,  the  glorious  Pitons. 

Fifteen  miles  down  the  coast  is  the  most  interesting  of  the 
island  ports,  that  of  Soiifrihc,  with  a  population  of  about 
2.000,  mostly  blacks.  It  lies  at  the  head  of  a  deep  bay,  and 
is  named  after  the  contiguous  volcano,  the  Soufriere,  the 
crater  of  which  may  be  reached  by  a  twenty-minutes'  drive 
from  the  town.  This  crater  is  about  i,ooo  feet  above 
the  sea,'  and  is  encrusted  over  with  a  thin  layer  of  sulphur, 
alum,  cinders,  and  other  volcanic  matter,  while  in  its  midst 
rise  dense  clouds  of  steam  from  the  solfataras,  which  are  in 
a  state  of  perpetual  ebullition.  One  must  be  careful  how  he 
walks  about  the  crater,  for  the  thin  crust  sometimes  breaks 
through,  and  limbs  have  been  terribly  scalded.  There  used 
to  be  an  old  negro  here,  who  was  shown  as  an  object-lesson 
of  what  the  Soufriere  could  do  to  the  unwary,  for  he  had 
a  wooden  leg,  which  replaced  a  natural  member  that  he  lost 
through  carelessness.  What  the  Soufriere  is  now,  we  are 
told,  that  it  was  hundreds  of  years  ago,  and  will  be  hun- 
dreds of  years  hence :  a  basin  of  geysers  intermittently  active, 
pouring  forth  vapour  and  boiling  water,  as  well  as  sulphurous 
fumes.  Of  course,  there  are  the  usual  sulphur  baths,  the 
v.aters  of  which  are  efficacious  in  the  curing  of  rheumatism 
and  scrofulous  affections.  These  lie  a  little  nearer  the  town, 
in  an  eastern  direction,  where  may  be  seen  the  ruins  of  an 
establishment  erected  by  the  French,  in  1784.  The  region 
abounds  in  springs  of  mineral  water,  one  of  which,  yet 
nearer  to  the  town,  is  said  to  possess  waters  comparing  fa- 
vourably with  those  of  Aix-le-Bains.  The  owner  has  erected 
baths,  opened  a  carriage  road  to  the  spot,  and  erected  here 
a  nice  little  cottage,  which  can  be  rented  on  moderate  terms. 
All  information  necessary  to  the  visitor  to  the  Soufriere  may 
be  obtained  of  the  natives,  who  swarm  to  shore  at  the  ar- 
rival of  the  steamer,  and  proffer  their  services. 

It  is  likely  that  the  visitor  will  be  more  attracted  by  the 
wonderful  Pitons  than  by  the  Soufriere,  for  one  of  them 
rises  near  the  entrance  to  the  bay.  These  Pitons,  or  Pointed 
Mountains,  have  been  compared  to  "dragons'  teeth."  to  nat- 
ural pyramids,  and  by  irreverent  sailors  to  donkeys'  ears. 
There  are  two  of  them,  the  Great  and  the  Little  Piton,  both 


394  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST   INDIES 

beautiful,  being  pyramidal,  or  rather  conical,  peaks,  of  sub- 
merged mountains  which  rise,  as  already  stated,  to  the 
heights  of  2,460  and  2,620  feet,  respectively,  above  the  level 
of  the  sea.  If  for  no  other  reason  than  to  view  the  Pitons  at 
close  range,  the  coast  trip  should  by  all  means  be  taken, 
since  they  are  absolutely  unique  in  conformation,  and  beauti- 
ful beyond  description.  Tradition  tells  us  that  many  at- 
tempts have  been  made  to  ascend  them,  but  without  success, 
the  most  noteworthy  being  that  of  three  British  sailofs,  two 
of  whom  were  killed  in  the  ascent  by  the  deadly  Fer-de- 
Lances,  while  the  third  expired  the  moment  he  reached  the 
summ.it  of  the  Petit  Piton,  and  shouted  victory.  A  hardy 
islander,  however,  Mr.  Lompre,  successfully  ascended  the 
Petit  Piton  in  1878,  and  was  followed  not  long  after  by 
Chief  Justice  Carrington  and  a  party,  who  accomplished  the 
feat  without  accident. 

Beyond  Soufriere  is  the  picturesque  village  of  Choiscul, 
which,  with  fertile  soil  and  healthful  climate,  supplies  the 
market  of  Castries  with  fruits  and  vegetables.  Lahorie,  next 
beyond,  formerly  known  as  Isle  of  Turtles,  lies  on  an  open 
roadstead  surrounded  by  reefs.  It  has  about  double  the 
population  of  Choiseul,  or  800  inhabitants,  and  is  the  last 
stopping-place  of  the  local  steamer  on  this  coast.  Vieux- 
Fort  has  just  double  the  population  of  Laborie.  It  takes 
its  name  from  the  first  fort  erected  here,  in  the  early  part  of 
the  seventeenth  century,  either  by  the  French  or  the  Dutch, 
which  commands,  as  it  commanded  then,  a  tract  of  level, 
fertile  country  highly  favourable  to  the  cultivation  of  sugar- 
cane. One  of  the  large  tisines,  or  sugar  factories,  is  located 
here ;  and  but  for  its  isolation,  the  Old  Fort  would  be  a  very 
flourishing  place,  as.  indeed  it  is  attractive  and  historically 
interesting. 

While  the  various  villages  on  the  East  Coast  are  interesting, 
such  as  Micoud  and  Dennery,  they  face  the  boiling  surfs  of 
the  Atlantic,  and  are  all  but  inaccessible  to  the  average  tour- 
ist. Many  miles  of  good  roads  traverse  the  island,  however, 
and  little  journeys  may  be  made  to  various  places,  through 
the  hill  and  forest  country,  with  pleasure  and  with  profit. 

Some  Historical  Events.  As  one  of  the  largest  and  most 
fertile  of  the  Caribbees,  this  island  early  attracted  the  atten- 


PQ 


ST.  LUCIA  395 

tion  of  the  French  and  English,  after  they  had  dared  the 
Spaniards  and  broken  into  the  Caribbean  Sea,  which,  with 
the  Pope's  assistance,  the  "Dons"  would  fain  have  made 
a  uiarc  clausuin.  It  is  supposed  to  have  been  discovered  by 
Columbus,  on  his  fourth  voyage  in  1502,  but  was  not  settled 
for  more  than  a  century  after.  In  1605  the  English  vessel 
Olive  Blossom  arrived  here  with  sixty-seven  passengers, 
which  number  was  reduced  by  the  hostile  cannibals  living 
here  to  less  than  twenty,  within  a  month,  and  the  survivors 
fled  to  South  America.  Thirty  years  later  the  French  made 
ai)  attempt  at  settlement,  but  not  long  after  were  routed  by 
the  English  under  Lord  Willoughby,  who  also  felt  the  Carib's 
heavy  hand  for  their  intrusion.  Having  attempted  to  make 
slaves  of  these  fierce  islanders,  the  English  were  set  upon 
by  them,  and  such  as  were  not  massacred  were  driven  out, 
it  is  said,  by  the  fumes  of  red  pepper.  Then  the  French 
came  again,  after  whom,  "hot-foot,"  came  the  English;  and 
thus  for  a  hundred  years  and  more  the  island  was  the  ob- 
ject of  contention. 

During  two  hundred  years,  in  truth,  the  two  nations  strove 
for  supremacy,  not  only  in  the  island,  but  on  the  surrounding 
seas ;  and  this  was  decided,  probably  forever,  by  the  famous 
victory  achieved  by  Rodney  over  De  Grasse,  on  April  12, 
1782.  On  a  hill  in  Pigeon  Island,  lying  near  the  northeast 
shore  of  Saint  Lucia,  off  the  great  bay  of  Gros  Ilet  (once 
the  rendezvous  of  men-of-war  fleets)  are  the  remains  of  old 
Fort  Rodney,  whence  the  British  admiral  of  that  name 
watched  the  French  fleet  over  in  the  bay  of  Fort  Royal,  now 
Fort  de  France.  As  soon  as  he  saw  it  in  motion,  standing 
out  for  open  sea,  he  gave  chase  with  his  ships,  with  the 
result  that  the  French  were  brought  to  battle  near  Dominica, 
and  the  great  victory  was  won  which  settled  for  all  time  the 
sovereignty  of  the  southern  West  Indies. 

Conflicts  in  the  island  were  of  frequent  occurrence,  how- 
ever, for  several  years  thereafter,  and  the  slopes  of  the 
Vigie  and  IMorne  Fortune,  above  Castries,  have  been 
drenched  in  the  blood  of  French  and  Englishmen,  by  thou- 
sands slain,  in  the  endeavour  to  hold  for  their  respective 
nations  this  strategic  position  in  the  Caribbees.  The  French 
were  finally  defeated,  driven  from  the  island,  and  St.  Lucia 


396  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST  INDIES 

was  definitely  given  to  England  by  treaty  in  1814,  ever 
since  remaining  an  English  possession.  The  population  now 
numbers  about  50,000,  and  is  increasing  rapidly,  though  a 
majority  of  the  births  (black  and  coloured)  are  illegitimate. 

In  St.  Lucia,  as  in  other  English  islands  of  the  West  In- 
dies, the  currency  is  in  "pounds,  shillings  and  pence";  but 
the  more  sensible  decimal  system  is  in  greater  favour,  and 
American  gold  and  banknotes  are  in  current  circulation. 

Means  of  Communication  and  Rates  of  Fare.  Same  as 
Dominica's  and  those  of  the  English  islands  of  the  Carib- 
bees  generally.  The  "Royal  Mail,"  "Quebec"  and  "Inter- 
colonial" boats  all  call  in  at  Castries,  where  coaling  facilities 
are  unsurpassed. 


SAINT  VINCENT 

General  Description.  The  island  of  St.  Vincent  is  dis- 
tant from  Saint  Lucia,  the  nearest  land  to  the  northward, 
21  miles  and  from  Barbados,  nearest  eastward,  96  miles.  It  is 
only  18  miles  long  by  11  wide,  yet  presents  a  combination  of 
attractive  features  difficult  to  surpass  in  any  country  of  equal 
area  on  the  globe.  Its  own  area  is  only  140  square  miles, 
a  goodly  portion  of  which  consists  of  hills  and  mountains, 
ravines,  gullies,  rivers,  streams  of  lesser  flow,  and  precipitous 
cliffs.  Seen  from  the  sea,  as  the  steamer  approaches  its 
shores,  it  appears  small  enough  to  be  circumnavigated  in  an 
hour  of  vigorous  ro\ving,  it  is  so  clean-cut,  like  an  emerald 
in  outline  and  beauty.  That  it  is  of  volcanic  formation,  the 
reader  does  not  need  to  be  told,  recalling  the  terrible  erup- 
tion of  May,  1902,  when  its  Soufriere  exploded,  with  a 
force  that  devastated  one-third  the  island,  and  killed  more 
than  2,000  human  beings. 

Kitigstown.  the  Capital.  It  has  but  one  port  at  which  the 
steamers  call,  that  of  Kingstow^n,  on  its  leeward  coast ;  a 
clean,  tropical-appearing,  self-respecting  little  city  of  about 
5,000  inhabitants.  It  lies  behind  a  curving  beach  of  surf- 
washed  sands,  with  red-tiled  roofs  gleaming  brightly  beneath 
groves  of  palms,  through  which  a  church  spire  pierces  here 
and  there.  Upon  the  northern  headland  of  the  bay,  spacious 
enough  to  float  a  navy  within  its  confines,  stands  one  of 
those  picturesque  forts  which  the  French  and  the  English 
were  so  fond  of  building  something  more  than  a  century 
ago.  It  is  now  used  as  a  signal  station,  but  the  view  out- 
spread beneath  its  ruined  walls  is  just  as  entrancing  as  it 
was  when  red-coated  soldiers  were  posted  here  to  watch 
the  movements  of  French  fleets  that  scoured  the  leeward 
shores  of  all  the  Caribbces.  Neither  has  the  town  it  guarded 
changed  much  in  the  century  past,  for  though  some  stone 
structures  have  been  erected  since  emancipation  time,  say 
sixty  years  ago,  Kingstown  depends  for  attractions  upon  its 
surroundings,  and  not  upon  its  architecture. 


398  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST  INDIES 

Beautiful  vallej^s  open  out  from  shore,  running  up  between 
the  hills,  so  that  Kingstown  and  its  bay  are  half  enclosed  by 
ranges  of  hills  A\hich  rise  at  intervals  to  the  height  of  moun- 
tains. They  form  an  amphitheatre,  verdant  and  palm- 
sprinkled,  above  which  towers  Morne  St.  Andrew,  and  at 
a  lesser  elevation  are  the  Dorsetshire  Heights,  crested  by  an 
ancient  fort  with  a  history.  This  old  fort  has  long  been 
dismantled,  its  cannon  disposed  of  by  enterprising  spec- 
ulators, either  to  the  North  or  the  South,  during  the  civil 
war  between  the  States ;  but  time  was  when  the  fierce  Caribs, 
swarming  in  from  the  Windward  country  of  St.  Vincent,  in 
the  latter  part  of  the  eighteenth  century,  made  themselves 
masters  of  fort  and  heights.  They  were  dislodged  only  after 
desperate  fighting,  and  eventually  were  defeated,  their  chief 
gibbeted  in  chains,  and  the  bulk  of  the  savage  horde  sent  to 
Ruatan  Island,  coast  of  Honduras. 

But,  of  course,  the  visitor  to  St.  Vincent  is  not  so  much 
interested  in  its  history  as  in  its  accommodations  for  the 
traveller.  In  a  few  words — to  be  truthful  and  brief — they 
are  scant.  If  a  good  hotel  exists  in  Kingstown,  it  has  man- 
aged to  conceal  itself  successfully  from  our  search,  though 
there  are  a  few  boarding-houses  which  nobly  stand  the  tourist 
in  good  stead.  Let  your  wants  be  known,  however,  to  the 
hospitable  planters  of  the  island  (of  which  class  a  few  still 
exist  who  have  survived  the  disasters  of  earthquakes,  vol- 
canic eruptions  and  scant  sugar  crops)  and  they  will  be  sup- 
plied at  once.  More  than  supplied,  in  truth,  for  no  one  has 
yet  gauged  the  depth  and  breadth  of  West  Indian  hospitality 
who  has  not  dwelt  awhile  beneath  the  roof  of  a  "great 
house"  on  the  island  of  St.  Vincent.  Few  are  left,  alas ! 
of  those  great-hearted  plantation  managers,  mainly  of  Scotch 
descent,  who  were  wont  to  extend  the  hand  of  hospitality  to 
every  stranger  arriving  at  the  port  of  Kingstown.  Their 
horses  were  always  ready  for  him  to  mount,  their  servants 
waiting  to  guide  and  attend  him  to  the  estate,  where  a  wel- 
come awaited  such  as  made  the  heart  expand  with  gratitude. 

A  Garden  of  Delights.  A  mile  distant  from  the  town, 
with  a  good  road  running  thither,  is  a  famed  garden  for  the 
acclimatisation  of  tropical  exotics,  which  was  started  so  long 
ago  as  1763.     At  the  base  of  the  hills,  which  set  their  feet 


SAINT  VINXENT  399 

within  the  borders  of  this  garden,  stands  the  residence  of 
the  Administrator  of  the  island,  Government  House,  where 
the  visitor  with  proper  credentials  is  never  turned  away.  It 
nestles  among  and  overlooks  extensive  grounds  planted  with 
teak,  mahogany,  almond,  screw-pines,  nutmeg,  clove,  cin- 
namon, pimento,  areca  palms,  bread-fruit,  palmistes,  and 
great  cannon-ball  trees.  Mangoes,  also  oranges,  lemons, 
limes;  in  fact,  every  variety  of  fruit  and  flower-bearing  tree 
that  is  to  be  found  in  the  tropics,  whether  in  the  western  or 
eastern  hemisphere,   is  at  home  here  and  flourishing. 

This  garden  was  the  first  of  its  kind  to  be  established  in 
America,  it  is  said,  for  the  propagation  of  plants  "useful  in 
medicine  and  profitable  as  articles  of  commerce,  and  where 
nurseries  of  the  valuable  productions  of  Asia  and  other 
distant  parts  might  be  formed  for  the  benefit  of  his 
Majesty's  colonies."  Its  history  is  interwoven  with  that 
of  tropical  horticulture  in  America  to  a  surprising  extent. 
In  1793,  for  instance,  Captain  Bligh  (of  the  Bounty  mutiny 
fame)  brought  here  numerous  plants  of  the  bread-fruit  from 
the  South  Pacific.  The  first  cloves  came  from  Martinique 
in  1787.  the  first  nutmegs  from  Cayenne,  in  1809,  and  all 
have  flourished  exceedingly,  especially  the  bread-fruit,  w^hich 
now  grows  wild  in  every  part  of  the  island.  ]\Iany  of  the 
best  exotics  were  transferred  to  Trinidad  in  1815.  and  the 
garden  allowed  to  fall  into  decay ;  but  it  was  revived  again 
in  1890,  and  placed  in  charge  of  a  skilled  curator  from  Kew. 

Other  Towns  and  Settlements.  While  there  is  no  con- 
tinuous road  quite  around  the  island,  as  in  St.  Kitts  and 
Barbados,  there  are  nearly  100  miles  of  highways  mbre  or 
less  passable;  which  for  the  most  part  run  close  to  the  sea- 
coast,  and  afford  views  of  great  variety.  Lateral  roads  and 
trails  run  from  these  up  into  the  hills  and  mountains,  and  an 
old  Indian  path  crosses  the  Soufriere,  running  around  the 
brim  of  the  crater,  from  one  coast  to  the  other.  One  may 
drive  along  the  Windward,  or  eastern,  coast,  nearly  to  the 
north  end  of  the  island  ;  but  along  the  Leeward,  or  western, 
the  travel  is  mainly  by  water.  Large  four-  and  six-oared 
boats  ply  down  the  Leeward  shore  daily,  except  on  Sundays, 
between  Kingstown  and  the  villages  and  plantations  to  the 
northward.     They  are  open,  but  safe  and  commodious,  while 


400  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST  INDIES 

the  boatmen  are  among  the  most  skilled  in  their  profession. 
All  the  produce  and  supplies  for  the  numerous  estates  on  the 
coast  are  water-borne,  either  in  these  craft,  in  sloops  and 
small  schooners  called  "droghers/'  or  in  the  native-made 
"Moses"  boats,  which  are  clumsy  but  strong  craft  of  the 
"Noah's  Ark"  variety.  There  are  very  few  wharves  or  jet- 
ties outside  Kingstown,  and  the  boats  are  mainly  driven 
ashore  through  the  surf  and  passengers  landed  on  the  sands, 
sometimes  on  the  shoulders  of  the  boatmen. 

Next  to  the  capital  in  size  is  Georgetown,  on  the  Windward 
coast,  adjoining  the  so-called  Carib  Country,  an  unattractive 
but  busy  place,  without  harbour  facilities.  At  the  south- 
eastern end  of  the  island  is  Calliaqua,  mainly  occupied  by 
black  and  coloured  folk.  There  are  three  settlements  on  the 
Leeward  shore:  Layou,  Barrouallie  and  Chateau  Belaire,  the 
last  being  the  largest  and  nearest  to  the  tract  devastated  by 
the  volcanic  eruption  of  1902.  All  are  attractive  in  a  certain 
sense,  but  those  most  so  are  the  inland  villages  of  the  Buc- 
cament,  Belair,  and  Marriaqua  valleys. 

The  entire  population  of  the  island  and  its  dependencies  in 
the  Grenadines  does  not  exceed  48,000,  of  which  number 
probably  less  than  3,000  are  white.  The  island  is  a  pleasant 
place  to  live  in,  however,  being  one  of  the  most  healthful  in 
the  West  Indies.  The  average  temperature  is  75-80  degrees, 
tempered  by  the  trade-winds  during  ten  months  of  the  year. 
There  are  no  swamps,  and  the  slopes  in  all  directions  sea- 
ward ensure  perfect  drainage. 

The  Great  Soufriere.  The  name  of  St.  Vincent  will 
ever  be  associated  with  that  of  Alartinique  in  the  terrible 
terrestrial  disturbances  of  1902,  when  the  northern  portion 
of  each  island  was  devastated  and  more  than  40,000  people 
destroyed.  Some  one  has  said  (and  it  may  have  been 
the  writer  of  these  lines)  that  four  islands  among  the 
Caribbees  realise  one's  ideals:  Guadeloupe,  Dominica,  Mar- 
tinique, and  St.  Vincent.  The  first  is  vast,  grand,  and 
gloomy;  the  second  sombre  in  its  mountain  districts,  but 
breaking  out  into  smiling  tracts  of  cultivated  grounds ;  the 
third  combines  features  of  the  other  two,  and  adds  the  ele- 
ment of  a  picturesque  population ;  but  St.  Vincent  has  all 
the  natural  beauties  of  the  three  and  a  certain  air  of  deli- 


SAINT  VINCENT  401 

cate  culture  entirely  its  own.  All  are  volcanic,  however, 
and  possess  the  "fatal  gift  of  beauty" ;  that  is,  they  owe 
that  beauty  to  the-  volcanic  character  of  surface  and  soils. 

The  central  backbone  of  the  island  is  a  mountain  ridge, 
niainly  forest-covered,  with  peaks  of  varying  height.  Morne 
St.  Andrew,  immediately  above  the  capital,  is  2,500  feet ; 
Alorne  Agarou,  in  the  centre,  is  the  highest,  4,000  feet ;  and 
before  the  last  eruption  the  Soufriere,  or  Volcano,  was  nearly 
of  the  same  altitude.  Whatever  its  size,  as  compared  with 
its  brother  mountains,  the  Soufriere  is  the  most  conspicuous 
and  famous,  on  account  of  the  eruptions  it  has  sent  forth, 
two  destructive  outbursts  having  occurred  within  the  last 
hundred  years.  The  writer  of  this  Guide  visited  the 
Soufriere  in  1878,  and  at  that  time  wrote  of  it  as  the  last 
of  the  West  Indian  volcanoes  from  which  the  nineteenth  cen- 
tury had  witnessed  destructive  eruptions — as  it  was.  In  the 
year  1812  it  burst  upon  the  island  with  terrific  force,  covered 
it  with  cinders  and  scoriae,  destroyed  many  lives,  and  ruined 
several  estates.  This  eruption  lasted  three  days,  beginning 
on  that  day  of  fatality  in  1812,  when  Caracas  was  destroyed, 
and  10,000  people  perished.  It  was  recorded  of  this  eruption, 
as  an  astonishing  fact,  that  ashes  or  pulverised  pumice  from 
this  volcano  descended  in  clouds  upon  the  island  of  Barba- 
dos, nearly  100  miles  distant,  and  to  windward.  This  oc- 
curred notwithstanding  that  the  trade-winds  from  the  north- 
east were  blowing  against  the  projected  debris  from  rhe 
volcano  with  all  their  force,  showing  the  terrific  nature  of 
the  explosion. 

When  the  writer  first  visited  the  Soufriere  in  1878,  it  con- 
tained two  craters,  which  had  been  in  a  state  of  quiescence 
for  more  than  sixty  years.  One  of  them  held  a  little  lake 
in  its  crater,  1,200  feet  below  the  crater-brim,  which  itself 
was  about  3,000  feet  above  the  sea.  A  narrow,  knife-like 
ridge  separated  the  two  craters,  and  around  them  ran  the 
trail  leading  from  one  shore  of  the  island  to  the  other.  For 
more  than  sixty  years  the  Indians  and  negroes  had  traversed 
this  trail  without  giving  thought  to  the  terrible  forces  that 
still  lurked  within  the  quiescent  volcano,  and  when  the 
writer  established  his  camp  in  a  cave  on  the  crater-brim 
(where  he  staid  for  nearly  a  week,  studying  the  phenomena 


402  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST   INDIES 

of  the  mountain  top)  there  was  not  a  suspicion  of  danger. 
The  slopes  within  and  without  were  covered  with  vegetation, 
differing  but  slightly  from  that  which  adorned  other  peaks  of 
the  range,  and  but  for  the  craters  themselves,  and  tradition, 
no  one  would  have  believed  this  region  had  been  the  centre 
of  volcanic  activity.  Yet,  a  few  years  later,  in  that  ever- 
memorable  month  of  J\lay,  1902,  the  site  of  that  camp  was 
blown  into  space,  the  whole  mountain  summit  torn  down, 
and  all  the  country  contiguous  rendered  desolate.  So  per- 
fect was  the  work  of  destruction  that  even  the  bird-life  of 
the  region  was  obliterated,  and  birds  which  were  known  to 
exist  on  the  mountain  are  now  as  a  species  extinct.  This  is 
especially  true  of  a  bird  which  the  natives  called  "invisible," 
and  the  "Soufriere  Bird,"  for  none  has  been  discovered,  it 
is  said,  since  the  eruption. 

The  Eruption  of  1902.  Ninety  years  after  the  eruption 
of  1812  occurred  another,  far  more  terrible  and  devastating 
than  the  first,  Avhich,  in  a  few  days,  laid  one-third  the  island 
in  ashes.  Heavy  earthquake  shocks,  warning  rumblings  and 
grumblings  had  been  heard  as  far  back  as  the  February 
previous ;  but  the  inhabitants  of  the  north  end  of  the  island 
hesitated  to  leave  their  homes,  and  by  the  last  of  April,  when 
the  heaviest  shocks  occurred,  they  were  somewhat  accus- 
tomed to  the  terrific  noises,  so  that  many  lost  their  lives  as 
victims  of  their  misplaced  confidence.  They  knew  not  when 
to  "trek,"  or  whether  it  were  necessary  to  leave  all  they  had 
in  the  world  and  flee  from  a  danger  wdiich  might  not  eventu- 
ate after  all.  But  on  May  3d,  when  nineteen  fearful  earth- 
shocks  v^ere  experienced,  the  people  of  Wallibou,  an  estate 
near  the  foot  of  the  Soufriere,  and  Morne  Ronde,  the  Carib 
settlement  still  nearer,  became  so  terrified  that  most  of  them 
fled  in  dismay.  Those  who  did  not  fly  were  overwhelmed 
by  roaring  rivers  of  mud,  so  hot  that  everything  encountered 
in  their  path  was  destroyed  as  by  blasts  of  flame.  Then 
there  began  a  race  for  life ;  but  too  late  for  many  of  them, 
as  Morne  Rondc,  Wallibou,  and  the  once  beautiful  Richmond 
estate  were  engulfed  by  seething  torrents  which  carried  all 
before  them.  Everything  inflammable  was  quickly  de- 
stroyed, and  the  lovely  vales,  filled  with  tropical  vegetation 
of  wondrous  beauty,   the  ridges  covered   with  palms,   tree- 


> 

.2 

3 
*-> 


w 


SAINT  VINCENT  403 

ferns,  plantains  and  bananas — all  were  stripped  and  burned 
in  a  twinkling.  Behind  the  horrible  stream,  smoking  and 
flaming,  roaring  and  rumbling,  lay  naught  but  ruined  walls 
of  "great  houses"  and  sugar  works,  gardens  but  a  short 
time  before  blossoming  with  flowers  enclosed  by  and  buried 
deep  beneath  the  hideous  river  of  mud  and  lava.  The 
stream  plunged  into  the  sea,  and  hissing  clouds  of  steam 
rose  skyward,  above  which  flamed  and  bellowed  the  volcano. 
The  coast  at  this  point  seemed  to  sink  into  the  sea,  and  at 
present  boats  may  sail  across  the  sites  of  villages  and  planta- 
tions which,  before  the  eruption  20  feet  above  sea  level, 
are  now  said  to  be  40  feet  beneath  it.  Balls  of  fire,  clouds 
of  steam,  and  incessant  showers  of  stones  were  spouted  from 
the  volcano,  and  so  great  was  the  force  with  which  the 
stones  were  ejected,  that  they  fell  upon  the  roofs  of  Kings- 
town and  villages  at  the  southern  end  of  the  island.  The 
entire  Leeward  coast  was  continually  bombarded  with  peb- 
bles as  large  as  cocoanuts ;  the  cool  waters  of  the  rivers 
turned  hot,  and  ran  hissing  and  steaming  to  the  sea. 

The  loss  of  life  on  the  Leeward  coast,  wdiere  the  destructive 
activity  was  first  displayed,  was  not  so  great  as  on  the  Wind- 
ward, and  up  to  Wednesday,  May  7th,  the  residents  of 
Georgetown  and  the  "Carib  Country,"  to  the  north  of  this 
village,  were  inclined  to  regard  the  eruption  with  indiffer- 
ence. Suddenly,  however,  the  infernal  forces  were  turned 
upon  them  full  blast.  Torrents  of  mud.  pebbles,  and  even 
stones  more  than  a  foot  in  diameter  fell  upon  the  doomed 
country  contiguous  to  and  north  of  Georgetown,  which  was 
enveloped  in  a  dense  cloud  of  steam  and  smoke,  through 
which  played  incessant  flashes  of  lightning.  In  a  short  time 
nearly  2,000  people  were  slain  or  w^ounded.  many  of  them 
having  been  struck  by  lightning,  others  crushed  by  huge 
stones,  others  scalded  by  steam,  and  yet  others  buried  be- 
neath the  lava  flood.  In  one  instance  a  house  full  of  people, 
who  had  gathered  together  for  protection,  was  destroyed  in 
a  moment ;  others  fell  beneath  the  discharge  of  rocks  and 
stones,  as  though   cut  down  by  musketry-fire. 

Half  a  dozen  villages  and  a  great  number  of  estates  were 
entirely  obliterated.  The  Carib  settlement  at  Sandy  Bay,  the 
negro  village  of  Overland,  the  settlement  at  Mornc  Rondc, 


404  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST   INDIES 

village  of  JVallibou,  that  of  Waterloo,  Orange  Hill, 
Tourama,  Fancy,  and  "Lot  Fourteen"  were  utterly  de- 
stroyed. Where  had  been  prosperous  sugar  estates,  arrow- 
root plantations,  "provision  grounds,"  and  smiling  settle- 
ments, only  arid  wastes  of  mud  and  scoriae  can  now  be 
found.  One  of  the  most  noteworthy  of  the  volcanic 
phenomena  is  to  be  found  in  the  several  "dry  rivers,"  on 
either  coast  of  the  island,  or  the  beds  of  streams  which  have 
been  overwhelmed  and  dried  up  by  fiery  floods  from  the 
Soufriere.  One  of  these  is  Wallibou,  on  the  northeast  or 
Leeward  coast,  and  the  other  the  "Dry  River"  of  the  Wind- 
ward district.  Both  were  the  channels  of  overflow  in  the  1812 
eruption,  and  again  in  that  of  1902.  During  both  eruptions 
the  channels  of  these  streams  were  filled  and  choked  with 
scoria?,  rocks  and  gravel,  underneath  which  the  water  dis- 
appears as  it  nears  the  coast  and  becomes  subterranean.  In 
the  season  of  rains,  however,  water  from  the  mountains 
comes  down  these  channels  in  great  volume,  in  huge  waves, 
"like  the  'bore'  of  a  tideway,"  carrying  everything  before  it. 

How  to  Reach  the  Volcanic  District.  To  reach  the 
"Leeward"  section  devastated  by  the  eruption  of  the 
Soufriere,  and  also  to  ascend  the  volcano  itself,  it  is  best  to 
go  first  to  the  town  of  Chateau  Belaire  by  boat,  where  guides 
may  be  obtained  for  the  journey  beyond.  It  is  about  6  miles 
from  this  town  to  Richmond  great  house  (which  was  en- 
tirely destroyed,  with  a  loss  of  eight  persons  who  had  taken 
shelter  there),  and  a  little  farther  to  Wallibou,  whence  runs 
the  trail  to  the  crater-brim.  The  ascent  of  the  Soufriere 
has  been  successfully  and  safely  made  many  times  since  the 
eruption,  and  with  ordinary  precautions  can  be  easily  ef- 
fected. One  may  also  go  by  boat  direct  to  Richmond,  in- 
stead of  to  Chateau  Belaire ;  though  the  chances  are  better 
at  the  latter  place  for  obtaining  horses,  provisions  for  the 
trip,  and  guides. 

For  a  description  of  this  region,  now  so  desolate,  but 
formerly  one  of  the  beauty-spots  of  earth,  the  reader  is 
directed  to  the  author's  Camps  in  the  Caribbecs  and  his 
West  Indian  Neighbors,  the  latter  published  by  James  Pott 
&  Company,  New  York,  1903. 

The  "Windward"  district  is  accessible  by  a  good  highway, 


SAINT  VINCENT  405 

though  not  all  the  streams  are  bridged,  and  one  should  be 
careful,  especially  in  the  rainy,  or  summer,  season,  about 
crossing  the  "Dry  River,"  and  not  attempt  it  when  it  is  in 
flood.  Georgetown  bounds  the  devastated  district  on  the 
south,  as  Chateau  Belaire  does  the  same  region  on  the  "Lee- 
ward" coast.  Both  depend  for  their  very  existence,  almost, 
upon  the  adjacent  sugar-cane  estates,  which  are  numerous 
enough,  but  somewhat  out  of  cultivation.  Most  of  them  are 
owned  by  a  single  firm,  or  individual,  and  with  a  letter  from 
the  estates  agent  in  Kingstown  to  the  various  managers 
resident,  one  may  pass  almost  around  the  island  with  ease. 
Caribs  of  St.  Vincent.  The  greatest  sufferers  from  the 
eruption  were  the  Caribs,  or  Indians  descended  from  the 
aboriginal  inhabitants  of  St.  Vincent,  and  who  resided  in  two 
villages,  that  of  Morne  Ronde  on  the  Leeward  coast,  and 
Sandy  Bay,  on  the  Windward.  The  ancestors  of  the  "yel- 
low," or  true,  Caribs  were  discovered  here  by  the  original 
settlers  and  allowed  to  remain,  so  long  as  they  gave  them 
no  trouble ;  but  when  the  Indians  found  that  the  Europeans 
were  appropriating  all  their  fertile  lands,  without  returning 
them  any  equivalent  at  all,  they  took  to  the  warpath.  In 
short,  they  continued  hostile  for  a  long  period,  the  crucial 
battle  between  the  races  having  been  fought  in  the  last  decade 
of  the  eighteenth  century.  Sir  Ralph  Abercromby,  the  same 
British  admiral  who  took  Trinidad  aw^ay  from  the  Spaniards 
the  year  following,  in  1796  took  the  field  with  4,000  men,  and 
captured  the  bulk  of  the  Caribs,  after  a  bloody  engagement. 
Five  thousand  of  them  were  taken  across  the  channel  to  the 
little  island  of  Baliceaux,  whence  they  were  deported  to  the 
island  of  Ruatan,  coast  of  Honduras.  There  their  descend- 
ants reside  to-day ;  but  the  most  wary,  bravest  and  sagacious 
of  the  Caribs  did  not  surrender  to  Abercromby.  They  re- 
treated to  their  forest  fastnesses,  where  they  lived  as  best 
they  could,  subsisting  upon  the  spoils  of  the  chase,  wild 
fruits  and  vegetables,  and  such  provisions  as  the  negroes 
took  them,  for  several  years.  At  last  they  had  become  so 
formidable,  and  so  persistently  evaded  the  soldiers  sent  in 
search  of  them,  that  a  treaty  was  made,  by  which  they  were 
given  the  occupancy  of  230  acres  of  their  own  lands  at 
Alorne  Ronde,  "which  they  were  neither  to  alienate  nor  cul- 


4o6,  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST   INDIES 

tivate  in  sugar,"  and  there  they  settled  down  in  peace.  The 
lands  granted  them  were  not  very  fertile,  so  most  of  the 
Indians  swarmed  over  to  the  Windward  side  and 
settled  about  Sandy  Bay.  where  the  soil  w-as  richer, 
but  where  their  tenure  was  only  that  of  the  squatter.  But  the 
fishing  and  hunting  were  better,  and  here  they  remained, 
while  Morne  Ronde.  the  original  grant  of  occupancy,  was  left 
to  the  "Black  Caribs,"  or  people  who  are  more  nearly  related 
to  the  African  than  the  Indian.  The  Yellow  Caribs  of  Sandy 
Bay  were  under  a  chief,  or  "headman,"  named  Henry  Mor- 
gan, with  whom  the  writer  once  lived,  when  hunting  birds  in 
the  island.  A  more  hospitable  people  it  would  be  hard  to 
find,  and  as  boatmen,  fishermen  and  cultivators,  they  are  un- 
surpassed. They  gained  most  of  their  living  from  the  ocean, 
which  on  the  Windward  coast  is  very  rough,  and  thus  they 
became  the  most  expert  boatmen  on  the  island,  much  sought 
after  by  the  planters  in  the  shipping  season,  when  great 
hogsheads  of  sugar  are  taken  from  shore  to  the  droghers 
or  coasting  vessels. 

These  Caribs  had  their  "pro^•ision  grounds,"  containing 
crops  of  arrowroot,  tanier,  yams,  cassava,  sweet  potatoes, 
etc.,  and  all  were  expert  basket  makers  as  well  as  watermen. 
The  women  and  children,  as  well  as  the  old  men  unfit  for 
service  at  sea.  wove  those  famous  water-tight  baskets  out  of 
reeds  and  wild  plantain  leaves,  which  are  sold  in  nests  of 
half  a  dozen,  and  used  as  trunks  and  panniers  by  all  the 
common  classes  throughout  the  islands. 

The  children  are  perfect  amphibians,  as  much  at  home  in 
the  water  as  on  land.  Though  the  Caribs  make  canoes,  by 
hollowing  out  great  trees,  after  the  manner  of  their  an- 
cestors, or  neatly  joining  together  slabs  of  gommier  or  ceiba 
wood,  the  boys  are  not  allowed  to  use  these  precious  craft, 
but  are  compelled  to  make  shift  with  rude  rafts.  Lashing 
together  two  great  logs,  found  drifting  in  the  surf  along 
the  coast,  they  sit  astride,  with  a  pole  to  balance  them,  and 
push  out  into  the  roughest  seas  without  any  fear  whatever. 
Sometimes  these  "aquatic  rocking-horses"  are  toppled  over 
by  huge  waves,  and  then  they  merely  dive  beneath  them  and 
get  astride  again,  going  on  with  their  fishing  as  if  nothing 
had  happened. 


SAINT  VINCENT  407 

Survivors  of  the  Great  Disaster.  Most  of  the  sufferers, 
as  already  stated,  lived  at  the  north  end  of  the  island,  and 
were  mainly  Caribs  and  related  negroes.  There  were 
scarcely  200  Indians  of  unmixed  blood  before  the  eruption, 
and  now  but  a  handful  survives,  deprived  of  lands,  of  houses, 
and  personal  effects,  dependent  upon  the  bounty  of  the 
Government.  Besides  the  2,000  killed,  maimed  and  wounded, 
there  were  hundreds  of  refugees  who  lost  everything.  For- 
tunately for  the  island,  shiploads  of  provisions  were  sent 
here  both  from  England  and  from  the  United  States,  and  all 
immediate  wants  were  supplied.  But  at  first  there  was  great 
confusion  and  unavoidable  delay,  so  that  many  suffered 
greatly,  even  after  reaching  places  of  safety,  and  some  others 
perished.  In  order  to  provide  for  the  refugees,  the  authori- 
ties purchased  large  tracts  of  land  at  Camden  and  Rutland 
Vale,  not  far  from  the  capital,  and  here  erected  hundreds 
of  cottages,  though  at  first  they  were  placed  in  large  tents 
in  the  fields  and  public  squares. 

Crown  Lands  and  Resources.  The  future  of  St.  Vin- 
cent, notwithstanding  its  natural  resources  and  attractive 
scenery,  which  latter  alone  should  draw  thither  tourists  by 
thousands,  does  not  appear  promising.  The  white  population 
has  steadily  dwindled  for  years,  and  the  last  great  upheaval 
has  discouraged  the  few  who  remained.  Comparatively  few 
English  settlers  are  left  on  the  island,  and  of  the  European 
stock  many  are  Portugyiese,  who  are  industrious,  but  non- 
progressive, being  mostly  labourers  and  small  shop  keepers. 
There  are  a  few  coolies,  and  many  negroes,  with  their  re- 
lated coloured  stock.  The  seat  of  government  is  no  longer 
here,  but  in  Grenada,  and  the  beautiful  Government  House, 
with  its  facilities  for  a  pleasurable  existence  amid  delightful 
surroundings,  is  rarely  occupied  by  the  governor  himself. 
Consequently,  there  is  no  initiative,  no  actual  head,  no  ani- 
mation, and  the  people  lead  a  listless,  ambitionless  existence, 
more  absorbed  in  recollection  of  the  past  than  in  plans  for 
the  future. 

While  it  is  difficult  to  provide  for  a  people  so  suddenly  torn 
from  their  homes  as  were  the  Indians  and  negroes  dis- 
possessed by  the  Soufriere,  there  are  resources  enough  in 
the  island  to  more  than  satisfy  a  population  twice  as  large 


4o8  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST  IxNDIES 

as  now  lives  in  St.  Vincent.  Many  of  the  sugar  plantations 
have  been  abandoned  (and  they  once  formed  a  fertile  belt 
almost  quite  around  the  island),  but  their  abandonment  has 
been  more  the  result  of  apathy  and  indifference  than  of  dis- 
couragement. While  sugar  is  no  longer  the  profitable  crop 
it  once  was,  still  it  can  be  produced  at  a  living  wage  for  the 
labourer  and  small  return  for  the  planter,  especially  if  the 
latter  be  wealthy  beyond  the  need  of  labour — as  is  the  case 
with  the  owners  of  these  plantations.  The  chief  cultivation 
here  is  arrowroot,  which  can  be  carried  on  by  humble 
labourers  as  well  as  by  rich  landowners.  Near  every 
stream  in  the  island  one  may  find  the  rude  arrowroot  mills, 
made  by  the  natives  themselves,  where  they  grind  the 
products  of  their  "provision  grounds."  But  the  price  of 
arrowroot  has  fallen  also,  and  yields  scarcely  a  larger 
profit  than  sugar. 

With  direct  steam  communication  with  the  United  States 
and  Canada,  and  some  capital  applied  to  the  waste  lands 
(thousands  of  acres  of  which  may  be  had  almost  for  the 
asking),  there  is  no  reason  why  beautiful  St.  Vincent  should 
not  rise  from  her  ashes  and  become  once  more  a  place  of 
wealth  and  beauty.  There  is  a  large  area  of  the  so-called 
Crown  lands,  chiefly  among  the  hills  and  mountains,  avail- 
able for  the  settler  who  can  endure  isolation  and  loneliness 
with  equanimity.  It  brings  about  a  pound  sterling  per  acre, 
depending  upon  its  location ;  but  on  any  of  it  the  finest 
tropical  fruits  and  vegetables  can  be  raised,  for  every^thing 
within  the  tropics  can  be  made  to  grow  here.  There  are  no 
harmful  reptiles,  as  in  St.  Lucia  and  Martinique,  and  the 
insects  inimical  to  man  are  only  those  which  are  not  gen- 
erally regarded  with  fear. 

Steamship  Communication.  Saint  Vincent,  like  the  isl- 
ands north  and  south,  including  Dominica,  Martinique,  Saint 
Lucia,  Grenada,  is  served  by  regular  steamers  of  the  Royal 
Mail,  the  Quebec  Line,  and  Canadian.  Fares,  same  as  in 
the  islands  of  the  group  generally :  From  New  York,  $40  to 
$60,  first-class;  return,  $90  to  $120. 


BARBADOS 

"Little  England."  The  islajid  of  Barbados,  the  eastern- 
most of  the  Caribbees,  is  21  miles  in  length  by  14  in  breadth, 
with  an  area  of  106,470  acres,  or  about  166  square  miles.  It 
supports  196,000  people,  or  about  1,180  to  the  square  mile, 
thus  making  it,  the  statisticians  say,  the  most  densely  pop- 
ulated country  on  the  globe  outside  of  China.  The  great 
majority  of  the  inhabitants  are  of  the  African  race,  and 
less  than  16.000  of  the  Caucasian;  yet  the  latter  have  been 
dominant  ever  since  its  discovery  in  1605.  It  was  settled  in 
1625,  and  has  been  continuously  a  colony  of  England,  with- 
out a  break  in  its  history.  Thus  it  is  well  entitled  to  be 
called  "Little  England,"  both  on  account  of  its  historical 
record  and  the  loyalty  of  its  governing  people,  who  have 
steadfastly  maintained  England's  traditions  and  held  true 
to  the  mother  country. 

Barbados  is  a  very  healthful  island,  for  there  are  no  swamps 
within  its  borders,  and  lying  out  at  sea,  swept  by  strong  sea 
breezes  night  and  day,  its  tropical  temperature  is  modified  con- 
siderably. Sun  and  wind  perform  the  duties  of  scavengers,  as 
it  were,  creating  a  climatic  condition  extremely  favourable  to 
longevity,  and  for  hundreds  of  years  the  island  has  been 
known  as  a  health-resort,  especially  to  the  inhabitants  of 
South  America  and  the  neighbouring  colonies  less  favoured 
by  nature.  The  temperature  ranges  from  68  to  82  degrees  in 
die  cool,  or  winter  season,  lasting  from  Christmas  to  the 
end  of  May,  and  from  73  to  88  degrees  in  the  summer.  The 
cool  season  also  corresponds  to  that  in  which  the  tropical 
fruits  and  vegetables  are  in  their  prime,  and  from  November  to 
April  one  may  obtain  guavas,  mangoes,  oranges,  limes, 
avocado  pears,  eddoes,  sweet  potatoes,  yams,  etc..  in  great 
abundance.  Favoured  by  nature  as  it  is,  and  having  been 
blessed  with  a  continuously  firm  and  intelligent  government. 
Barbados  has  proved  so  attractive  to  its  own  people  that  few 
desire  to  emigrate,  and  once  away  yearn  constantly  for  a 
return  to   that   "tight   little,    right   little   island,"   which   all 


410  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST   INDIES 

"'Badians  born  and  bred"  declare  to  be  a  tropical  England 
in  miniature.  There  is  certainly  a  peculiar  charm  about 
Barbados  which,  once  having  experienced,  moves  even  the 
casual  visitor  to  recur  to  it  as  approaching  one's  ideal  of 
a  land  where  the  dolce-far-nicnte  existence  may  be  enjoyed  in 
its  perfection. 

Scenery  and  Resources.  The  scenery  of  Barbados  is  not 
striking,  and  one  needs  to  "prowl  about"  a  bit  to  find  out 
its  choicest  gems.  As  a  rule,  the  surface  is  level,  but  in  the 
centre  of  the  island  rises  to  an  elevation  of  above  i,ooo 
feet.  The  soil  is  porous,  in  the  main  consisting  of  disin- 
tegrated coral  rock,  or  limestone,  but  is  especially  adapted 
to  the  cultivation  of  sugar-cane,  which  has  been  the  island's 
chief  industry  since  the  middle  of  the  seventeenth  century. 
The  average  sugar  and  molasses  crop  for  thirty  years  past 
has  amounted  to  46,145  tons  and  37,400  puncheons,  with 
an  area  under  crop  each  year  of  about  35,000  acres,  the 
largest  quantity  in  any  one  year  being  85,300  hogsheads  of 
sugar  and  51,900  puncheons  of  molasses.  The  prevailing 
low  prices  have  caused  some  of  the  planters  to  turn  their 
attention  to  cotton,  indigo,  and  tropical  fruits,  which  have 
been  neglected  in  the  past  in  the  almost  exclusive  cultiva- 
tion of  sugar-cane.  Arrowroot,  cassava,  maize,  Guinea  corn, 
yams,  sweet  potatoes,  bananas,  etc.,  are  cultivated  to  a  lim- 
ited extent,  but  hardly  more  than  suffices  for  home  consump- 
tion. It  is  due  to  the  total  exclusion  of  these  small  cultivations 
by  the  labourers  (who,  unlike  others  of  their  class  in  the 
West  Indies  generally,  have  no  gardens  or  "provision 
grounds")  that  they  are  made  wholly  dependent  upon  their 
labour  on  the  sugar  plantations  for  existence.  It  is  with  them 
"work  or  starve,"  and  hence  the  Barbadian  negro  is  the  most 
industrious  and  reliable  of  his  race  in  the  islands.  In  other 
islands  the  blacks  can  exist  independently  of  the  planta- 
tions, as  they  have  their  own  grounds  for  cultivation,  ob- 
tained either  from  the  government  or  by  squatter's  license, 
from  which  they  derive  a  mere  living  with  a  minimum  of 
labour.  In  such  islands  as  St.  Vincent,  for  example,  the 
wild  bread-fruits,  plantains,  etc.,  almost  suffice  for  their 
maintenance.  But  in  Barbados  there  is  no  land  available  for 
the   poor   man   to   cultivate,   all   the   holdings   being   in   the 


BARBADOS  4" 

planters'  hands.  There  are  no  Crown  lands,  as  in  other 
islands,  and  (as  yet)  no  abandoned  estates  which  can  be 
"squatted"  upon;  hence  the  problem  that  confronts  Barba- 
dos when  the  sugar  crop  is  on  the  verge  of  failure.  All  land 
suitable  for  crops  is  in  a  high  state  of  cultivation,  and  sells 
at  from  $ioo  to  $125  per  acre.  The  poverty  and  frugality 
of  the  labourers  are  such  that  they  save  material  which  in 
other  islands  is  looked  upon  as  waste,  even  the  "chompings" 
of  sugar-cane,  it  is  said,  being  carefully  preserved,  after  they 
have  extracted  the  juice  from  the  stalk  by  mastication. 

Owing  to  this  dense  population,  say  the  official  statistics, 
there  is  considerable  emigration  (to  some  extent  aided)  to 
other  West  Indian  colonies,  the  United  States  and  Canada. 
Wages  are  extremely  low,  and  there  are  no  openings  for 
w^hite  labour,  or  indeed  for  any  class  of  white  immigrants 
whatever.  The  cost  of  living,  to  those  w^io  are  content  with 
such  foodstuffs  as  fish,  rice,  sweet  potatoes  and  yams,  is 
very  low  ;  for  those  who  desire  the  usual  European  condi- 
tions it  is  fairly  moderate. 

There  are  very  few  native  resources,  the  mining  being 
confined  to  digging  for  "manjak,"  or  glance  pitch,  of  which 
less  than  a  thousand  tons  a  year  are  exported.  Borings  have 
been  made  for  petroleum,  of  which  there  is  an  undoubted 
supply  beneath  the  surface,  but  as  yet  without  important 
results.  Vast  quantities  of  flying-fish  are  taken  from  the 
sea  surrounding  the  island,  as  well  as  other  kinds,  and  a 
movement  has  been  made  to  pickle  them  for  export ;  but  no 
great  headway  has  been  made  as  yet. 

The  most  useful  of  the  island's  resources  is  an  underground 
supply  of  purest  water,  which  is  obtained,  by  gravitation  and 
by  pumping,  from  springs  at  Newcastle,  Codrington  College, 
Cole's  Cave  and  Bowmanston,  and  carried  through  300 
miles  of  pipes  to  Bridgetown,  with  free  delivery  stand-pipes 
by  the  roadsides  about  half  a  mile  apart.  Thus  pure  water 
and  pure  air  conduce  to  the  preservation  of  health  in  Barba- 
dos, which  has  no  malarial  districts. 

Bridgetown  the  Capital.  The  only  port  and  commercial 
city  of  importance  in  Barbados  is  Bridgetown,  which  had 
its  origin  in  1627  (see  page  424).  It .  is  a  port  without  a 
harbour,  save  for  the  artificial  one  created  by  a  breakwater, 


412  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST  INDIES 

and  available  only  for  small  vessels,  as  Carlisle  Bay,  upon 
which  it  is  built,  is  an  open  roadstead.  It  is  safe,  however, 
except  in  the  hurricane  season,  and  there  is  more  shipping 
concentrated  here  than  in  any  other  port  of  the  British 
West  Indies.  The  commerce  of  the  island  with  other  places 
is  extensive,  the  exports  averaging  $5,000,000  annually,  and 
the  imports  about  $200,000  more.  While  one-half  the  total 
imports  come  from  the  United  Kingdom  of  Great  Britain  and 
Ireland,  only  one-sixth  the  exports  are  sent  there,  the  bulk 
of  the  commerce  being  with  the  United  States  and  Canada. 
This  is  owing  chiefly  to  relative  contiguity,  for  while  New 
York  and  Halifax  are  but  eight  days'  distance  by  steam, 
English  ports  are  eleven  to  tliirteen  days,  the  average  dis- 
tance being  3,600  miles.  Hence,  while  their  affections  would 
prompt  the  Barbadians  to  closer  union  with  the  motherland, 
their  interests  intervene  in  behalf  of  America. 
Landing  at  Bridgetown.  Though  the  island  is  mainly 
level,  and  low-lying  upon  the  sea,  the  views  in  entering  the 
bay  are  extremely  fine,  comprising  a  broad  area  of  landscape 
mainly  tropical  in  appearance,  with  windmills  waving  their 
broad  arms  above  rounded  hills,  golden-green  cane  fields 
outspread  in  the  valleys,  and  groves  of  cocoa  palms  bending 
above  snow-white  beaches  washed  by  ceriilean  waves.  The 
bay  is  alive  with  boats,  some  in  pursuit  of  flying-fish, 
others,  and  the  great  majority,  swarming  about  the  steamer, 
with  their  owners  clamouring  vociferously  for  "fares."  In 
regard  to  these  'Bados  boatmen,  but  one  opinion  is  ex- 
pressed by  the  traveller  so  unfortunate  as  to  fall  into  their 
clutches.  They  are  as  barbarous  a  lot  of  negroes  as  ever 
existed  outside  the  cannibal  regions  of  Africa.  The  stress 
and  strife  among,  the  blacks  ashore  is  indicated  by  the  fierce 
competition  among  these  boatmen  for  their  fares.  Some- 
times the  purser  of  the  ship  will  come  to  the  rescue,  or  the 
agent  of  the  line,  but  it  is  never  safe  to  venture  ashore 
alone  and  unacquainted,  unless  a  bargain  has  been  made  in 
advance.  The  fare  from  ship  to  shore,  and  vice  versa,  is 
I  shilling;  for  landing  or  taking  off  one  or  two  passengers, 
"with  a  full  load  of  luggage,"  $1 ;  with  half  a  load,  3  shil- 
lings, or  72  cents ;  after  sunset  boatmen  are  entitled  to  double 
fares.     These  are  the  rules  governing  boatmen  in  Barbados; 


BARBADOS  413 

but  as  the  blacks  are  shrewd  they  will  often  "make  a  bluff" 
for  greater   remuneration   than  the  law   allows. 

Blacks  of  Barbados.  Once  ashore,  the  traveller  will  find 
Bridgetown  an  interesting  but  not  a  very  attractive  city. 
It  is  hot  always,  the  streets  are  dusty  sometimes  and  glaring 
all  the  time,  as  roadways  are  constructed  of  coral  rock,  which 
disintegrates  with  use.  In  the  town,  however,  they  are 
well  swept  and  frequently  watered,  while  the  glare  is  miti- 
gated by  means  of  awnings.  About  25,000  of  the  island's 
total  population  reside  in  Bridgetown,  but  the  stranger 
landing  here  for  the  first  time  might  be  excused  for  sup- 
posing that  fully  one-half  the  blacks  of  Barbados  had  con- 
gregated here,  for  they  fill  the  streets  and  squares,  as  well 
as  swarm  upon  the  wharves  and  sea-front  generally.  Ac- 
cording to  the  universal  testimony  of  travellers  also,  one 
may  see  in  Bridgetown  relatively  more  white  people  than  in 
most  of  the  other  islands,  although  they  comprise  less  than 
one-tenth  the  population.  One  is  jostled  in  the  streets  by 
horses,  mules  and  donkeys,  but  the  big  black  men  are  the 
real  beasts  of  burden,  and  haul  carts  containing  hogsheads 
of  sugar  as  though  they  weighed  but  pounds  instead  of  tons. 
"Work  or  starve"  is  the  alternative  for  the  blacks,  and 
since  they  must  wOrk,  they  perform  their  tasks  with  a  will. 
Always  hearty  and  good-natured,  though  independent,  even 
insolent,  toward  the  white  people,  the  blacks  of  Barbados 
are  the  best  workers  in  the  West  Indies,  and  as  such  are  in 
great  request  in  other  islands.  But,  as  already  indicated, 
they  would  rather  labour  on  starvation  wages  in  Barbados 
(which  are  dow-n  to  20  cents  a  day  for  stalwart  men,  and 
12  cents  for  women)  than  for  $1  a  day  at  Panama;  where, 
by  the  way,  their  assistance  would  prove  invaluable. 

The  blacks  have  built  up  Barbados  by  means  of  their  labour ; 
but  nevertheless  the  white  men  from  England  have  directed 
it,  and  created  in  the  island  the  beautiful  structures  we  see 
on  every  hand.  While  there  are  few  noteworthy  buildings  in 
Bridgetown,  all  have  a  substantial  appearance,  being  con- 
structed of  limestone,  of  which  the  island  is  composed.  Such 
are  the  public  and  parliament  buildings,  the  bishop's  and 
the  governor's  residence,  the  barracks  and  officers'  quarters. 
These  occupy  the  finest  part  of  the  city,  which  is  prettier  in 


414  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST   INDIES 

its  suburbs  than  near  shore.  The  great  Savannah,  a  level 
field  of  40  acres,  is  surrounded  with  trees  that  cast  a  grate- 
ful shade  upon  an  encircling  pleasure  drive.  The  Savan- 
nah is  known  to  many  as  the  "Playground  of  the  Bims," 
for  here  congregate  not  only  the  military  men  from  the 
garrisons,  but  officials  in  civil  life,  the  people  generally,  and 
especially  the  elite  of  society.  All  find  room  here  for  their 
various  diversions — lawn  tennis,  cricket  and  polo,  as  well 
as  goat,  horse  and  pony  races,  tent-pegging,  etc.,  etc.  At  the 
garrison  meets  and  at  stated  intervals  in  the  week  a  fine 
military  band  affords  music  for  all  assembled.  Crowds  of 
spectators  attend,  as  well  as  the  specially  invited  guests  of 
the  officers,  who  are  received  in  tents  and  marquees,  where 
tea  and  cakes  are  bountifully  dispensed.  Thus  it  may  be 
noted  that  the  "Bims"  are  lively  enough,  thanks  to  the  mili- 
tary garrisons  (which  of  late,  however,  have  been  sadly  de- 
pleted), and  are  athletic,  as  well  as  socially  inclined,  with- 
standing a  temperature  steadily  maintained  into  the  eighties. 

A  very  attractive  suburb  of  Bridgetown,  known  as  Belle- 
ville, adjoins  the  government  property,  where  reside  many  of 
the  city's  wealthiest  citizens.  It  is  a  comparatively  recent 
settlement,  having  been  laid  out  only  a  few  years  ago,  but 
contains  many  fine  dwellings  set  among  beautiful  gardens, 
and  streets  lined  with  palms.  The  nearest  watering-place 
is  at  Hastings,  where  the  Marine  Hotel,  an  enormous  struc- 
ture, and  one  of  the  finest  caravanseries  in  the  islands,  over- 
looks the  sea.  There  is  fine  sea-bathing  here,  and  as  the 
distance  from  Bridgetown  is  only  2  miles,  with  quick  con- 
nection by  carriage  or  tramway,  great  crowds  come  here  for 
recreation,  and  many  American  guests  remain  throughout 
the  season,  to  enjoy  the  soft  airs  and  restful  scenes. 

Bridgetown  is  a  veritable  beehive  for  commercial  activity, 
and  as  its  great  stores  are  filled  with  the  products  of  both 
England  and  America,  it  is  a  good  outfitting  place  for  the 
tourist,  who  can  purchase  anything  in  season  at  veiy  reason- 
able prices.  Some  of  its  structures  are  pretentious  in  their 
architecture,  as  compared  with  those  of  other  islands,  but 
suffer  by  comparison  with  those  of  the  larger  American 
cities.  The  city  is  the  headquarters  of  that  beneficent  institu- 
tion, the  "Imperial  Department  of  Agriculture,"  which  has 


c 
o 

00 

-73 


CQ 


BARBADOS  415 

done  so  much  in  the  interests  of  English  planters  in  the 
British  West  Indies.  It  possesses  a  fine  library,  several 
monuments,  and  in  Trafalgar  Square  stands  a  statue  of 
Lord  Nelson,  who  was  at  Barbados  with  his  fleet  the  very- 
year  of  his  victory  and  death  at  Trafalgar. 

Excursions,  Diversions,  etc.  Barbadian  diversions  are 
confined  mainly  to  sea-bathing,  riding,  driving,  boating,  sea- 
fishing,  dining,  picnicking,  and  the  social  amusements  al- 
ready mentioned,  to  which  may  be  added-  the  balls  and  re- 
ceptions at  Government  House,  which  take  place  weekly 
during  the  winter  season,  or  while  the  British  fleet  is  in 
harbour.  This  is  the  height  of  the  season,  in  January  and 
February,  when  the  temperature  is  lowest,  and  also  when 
the  winter  visitor  finds  it  most  convenient  to  call  at  the 
island.  It  is  presumed  that  the  visitor  has  made  the  ac- 
quaintance of  the  local  "lion,"  the  "ice  house,"  where  cooling 
drinks  are  dispensed,  and  meals  furnished,  with  the  true  Bar- 
badian flavour :  as  pepper-pot  and  flying-fish  dinners,  served 
by  native  chefs,  who  are  truly  "to  the  manner  born."  No 
one  must  leave  the  island  without  trying  these  dinners, 
which  are  varied  and  well  cooked.  While  there  are  several 
hotels  and  boarding-houses  in  town,  it  is  probable  that  the 
visitor  will  prefer  those  on  the  outskirts,  as  the  Marine 
Hotel  at  Hastings ;  or  at  some  distance  from  town,  as 
Crane's  and  at  Bathsheba.  The  best  hotel  in  Barbados,  the 
Marine,  is  owned  and  run  by  an  American.  Mr.  Pomeroy, 
whose  thirty  years'  experience  here  makes  him  the  dean  of  his 
profession,  as  he  is  also  the  prince  of  proprietors. 

An  "electric-mule  line"  (the  "Bridgetown  Tramways  Com- 
pany. Limited"),  with  five  different  routes  combined,  runs 
to  various  points  outside  Bridgetown,  with  fares  as  follows: 
"On  2-mile  lines,  6  cents;  on  mile  lines,  through  fare  4 
cents ;  half-mile  sections,  2  cents.  School  children  at  25 
per    cent,    discount    from    regular    rates." 

Cabs  are  numerous,  and  their  disposition  by  the  authori- 
ties at  specified  stands  and  in  regular  order  is  admirable. 
"For  any  hackney  carriage  with  two  or  four  wheels,  drawn 
by  one  horse,  by  distance,  not  exceeding  2  miles.  6  pence 
each  adult  person,-  and  3  pence  for  each  chi'd  under  ten 
years,  for  each  or  any  part  of  a  mile,  within  the  first  2  miles. 


4i6  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST   INDIES 

Exceeding  2  miles,  at  rate  of  i  shilling  for  each  adult,  and 
6  pence  for  each  child  under  ten,  for  every  mile  or  any  part 
of  a  mile  beyond  the  first  2  miles. 

"By  time — within  and  not  exceeding  one  hour,  2  shillings 
for  each  adult,  and  if  more  than  one  person,  i  shilling  for 
each   additional  person;   children  under  ten   half   fare. 

"For  every  livery  or  hackne}^  carriage  drawn  by  two  horses, 
one-half  above  the  rates  and  fares  hereinbefore  mentioned. 
The  above  fares  to  be  paid  according  to  distance  or  time, 
at  option  of  hirer,  but  to  be  expressed  at  time  of  hiring ; 
otherwise,  fare  to  be  paid  according  to  distance.  If  after 
eight  in  the  evening  any  carriage  be  found  on  a  stand  pro- 
vided for  carriages,  the  driver  thereof  may  be  compelled 
to  hire  the  same  at  rate  of  9  pence  per  mile  or  part  of  a 
mile,  not  exceeding  2  miles ;  and  if  exceeding  2  miles,  at 
rate  of  i  shilling  and  6  pence  per  mile  or  part  of  mile,  after 
first  2  miles,  for  each  adult  person ;  children  under  ten  half 
price." 

There  is  one  raikvay  on  the  island  (the  "Bridgetown  and 
St.  Andrew's,  Limited"),  with  fares  first-class,  as  follows: 
to  Rouen,  6  cents ;  Bulkley,  12  cents ;  Windsor,  24  cents ; 
Carrington,  24  cents ;  S.unbury,  24  cents ;  Bushy  Bark,  32 
cents;  Three  Houses,  36  cents;  Bath,  t,6  cents;  Bathsheba, 
48  cents;  St.  Andrew,  48  cents;  third-class  fares  half  the 
above.  It  will  be  noticed  that  the  railway,  being  a  recent 
construction,  states  its  rates  in  American  money  and  not, 
like  the  municipal  authorities,  in  the  obsolete  British  cur- 
rency. The  tendency  in  all  the  English  islands  is  toward 
the  decimal  system  of  the  United  States,  and  away  from 
Britain's  cumbersome  and  awkward  "pounds,  shillings  and 
pence."  In  fact,  the  most  enterprising  islands  have  adopted 
the  decimal  system  altogether,  not  only  because  the  bulk 
of  their  trade  is  with  the  United  States,  but  because  of  its 
manifest  advantages. 

A  branch  line  of  the  railway  runs  from  Carrington  station 
to  the  Crane,  a  watering  place  on  the  Leeward  coast,  which 
supports  a  good  hotel  and  several  furnished  houses.  The 
Crane  is  about  14  miles  from  Bridgetown,  and  may  be 
reached  by  carriage  over  the  highway  (one  and  one-half 
hours,  cost  $4)   or  by  rail  for  less  than  one-eighth  of  this 


BARBADOS  41? 

sum.  The  scenery  here  is  attractive,  with  great  eroded 
cliffs,  their  bases  washed  by  the  waves.  The  air  is  cooler 
than  in  town,  the  bathing  is  excellent,  and  the  hotel  and 
furnished  houses,  especially  in  the  hot  season,  are  always 
well  filled. 

A  mile  beyond  Crane  in  the  same  parish  of  St.  Philip  is 
a  magnificent  mansion  known  as  Lord's,  or  Long  Bay  Castle, 
the  grounds  about  which  form  a  favourite  resort  for  pleasure 
parties.  The  immense  building  was  at  one  time  luxuriously 
furnished,  and  traces  yet  remain  of  mahogany  pillars,  plate 
mirrors,  etc.,  though  the  structure  is  now  going  to  decay. 
Ragged  Point  lighthouse,  half  an  hour's  drive  farther  on, 
affords  a  fine  view  of  the  sea.  and  gets  the  full  force  of  the 
trade-winds ;  but  the  spot  par  excellence  for  strong  sea 
breezes  is  BatJislieba,  in  the  parish  of  St.  Joseph,  14  miles 
distant  from  Bridgetown  by  road  (time,  two  hours,  and  car- 
riage hire,  $8).  As  the  railroad  takes  one  thither,  however, 
for  a  fare  of  only  2  shillings,  it  is  not  necessary  to  hire  a 
conveyance,  though  the  distance  by  rail  is  somewhat  longer — 
17  miles. 

BatlisJicba's  shore  line  curves  about  a  very  beautiful  bay, 
lined  with  cocoa  palms  which  rise  above  a  beach  of  snowy 
sand.  A  peculiarity  of  this  shore  consists  in  the  eroded 
rocks,  some  in  shape  of  mushrooms  and  haystacks,  which  are 
conspicuous  in  the  surf  that  beats  upon  the  beach.  There 
are  two  small  hotels  here,  the  Beachmount  and  the  At- 
lantis, for  Bathsheba  is  a  very  popular  resort  with  the 
'Badians.  if  not  with  strangers  to  the  island. 

Hackleton's  Cliff,  which  rises  to  a  height  above  the  shore 
of  from  800  to  1, 100  feet,  overlooks  the  coast  at  Bathsheba, 
affording  many  splendid  views,  and  is  an  example  of  what 
may  be  seen  in  this  rugged  part  of  the  island  known  as 
"Scotland."  The  hill  scenery  here  is  strikingly  dissimilar 
from  that  of  the  Bridgetown  region,  and  is  extremely  pic- 
turesque. Directly  west  from  Bathsheba  rises  ]\Iount  Hillaby, 
the  highest  peak  (1,104  feet)  in  Barbados,  and  within  easy 
riding  distance  are  many  fine  views  and  interesting  localities. 
The  hills  curve  around  in  a  semicircle  through  the  parishes 
of  St.  Andrew  and  St.  Joseph,  enclosing  many  a  picturesque 
bit  of  scenery  in  this  rough  district,  which  it  would  repay 


4i8  A  GUIDE  TO  THE   WEST   INDIES 

one  to  visit.  Only  fifteen  minutes'  walk  from  Bathsheba  one 
reaches  the  confines  of  the  petroleum  district,  where  oil  from 
sunken  wells  is  still  obtained ;  and  not  far  off  are  native  pot- 
teries, where  the  coarse  earthenware  for  which  Barbados  is 
locally  famous  is  crudely  made  by  the  primitive  dwellers 
here.  As  the  soil  of  this  district  is  too  poor  for  sugar-cane 
planting,  it  is  mainly  given  over  to  the  raising  of  arrow- 
root,  the  rude  mills  for  grinding  which,  with  their  sails 
patched  by  means  of  cast-off  garments,  are  quaint  and  in- 
teresting. 

At  Gun  Hill,  distance  from  Bridgetown  6  miles,  and  one 
hour  (fare  by  carriage  $3),  a  splendid  view  is  outspread  of 
the  valley  of  St.  George,  and  here  will  be  found  the  carven 
figure  of  a  lion,  after  the  manner  of  that  historic  one  at 
L.ucerne,  though  not  so  artistic  in  conception  or  execution. 
In  the  parish  of  St.  Thomas  (one  hour  distant  from  Bridge- 
town, carriage  $3)  is  one  of  the  most  wonderful  of  the 
numerous  caves  in  Barbados,  reached  by  driving  over  a  fine 
road  for  about  7  miles,  through  the  centre  of  the  great 
sugar-producing  region.  This  is  Cole's  Cave,  situated  in  a 
ravine  famous  for  its  immense  silk-cotton  tree,  and  itself 
several  miles  in  length.  No  adequate  attempts  have  been 
made  to  exploit  this  cavern  as  an  attraction  to  strangers  (as 
has  been  done  with  similar  objects  in  the  Bermudas  and 
elsewhere),  but  it  is  equally  beautiful  with  the  best  of  them. 
An  interesting  feature  of  this  cave  is  a  stream  of  pure  water, 
which  is  one  of  the  sources  of  Bridgetown's  supply,  but  the 
origin  of  which,  as  well  as  its  outlet  from  the  cavern,  is  a 
mystery. 

Turner's  Hall  Wood  and  Boiling  Spring.  The  road  to 
Cole's  Cave,  if  followed  twice  the  distance,  or  14  miles, 
from  Bridgetown,  takes  one  to  Turner's  Hall  Wood,  in 
St.  Andrew's  parish  (time  two  hours,  fare  by  carriage,  $5 
single,  $8  double).  The  road  all  the  way  is  interesting,  but 
as  it  approaches  the  confines  of  the  woods,  which  are  good 
examples  of  tropical  forests,  becomes  fascinating.  This  wood 
is  said  to  be  the  only  remnant  of  the  great  tropical  forest 
that  at  one  time  is  supposed  to  have  covered  the  island,  and 
it  contains  almost  the  only  game  worth  the  hunting  in  Barba- 
dos.    There  is  little  shooting  in  the  island,  except  of  plover 


BARBADOS  419 

and  such  birds  in  the  winter  season,  and  these  woods  hoM  the 
only  wild  animals,  containing  as  they  do  specimens  of  rac- 
coons and  monkeys.  They  are  difficult  to  obtain,  however, 
for  at  one  time  in  the  past  a  bounty  was  placed  upon  their 
heads,  and  they  came  near  being  extirpated.  The  so-called 
'"Boiling  Spring"  is  more  in  the  nature  of  a  gas  well,  for  the 
commotion  on  its  surface  is  caused  by  the  escape  of  gas 
(carburetted  hydrogen),  which,  especially  when  under  pres- 
sure from  the  rain-saturated  soil  in  the  wet  season,  will 
take  fire  if  a  match  is  applied,  and  burn  with  a  flickering 
flame.  It  gives  out  great  heat  in  burning,  so  that  eggs  may 
be  cooked  and  the  camp  kettle  boiled,  when  properly  placed 
over  it,  especially  if  an  inverted  funnel  be  used  for  concen- 
trating the  flames. 

Animal-Flower  Cave.  The  northern  and  northeastern 
shores  of  Barbados  are  exposed  to  the  ever-blowing  trade- 
winds,  which,  during  centuries  past,  have  driven  mighty 
billows  thundering  upon  the  rocks  and  hollowed  out  caverns 
in  numerous  places.  The  most  wonderful  of  these  caverns 
is  that  known  as  the  "Animal-Flower  Cave,"  at  the  extreme 
northern  point  of  the  island.  It  is  rarely  visited,  because 
the  roads  leading  thither  are  rough  and  access  to  the  cave 
obtained  only  in  the  most  serene  weather,  when  the  sea  is 
calm.  The  distance  by  road  from  Bridgetown  is  18  miles 
(time  about  three  hours;  carriage,  $5).  From  Bathsheba  it 
is  much  less,  also  from  Belle  Plain  station,  the  terminus  of 
the  railway  in  St.  Andrew's.  From  this  station,  by  the  way, 
the  distance  to  Turner's  Hall  Wood  and  the  Boiling  Spring 
may  be  shortened,  as  well  as  the  expense  greatly  lessened, 
as  it  is  only  3  or  4  miles  away. 

Remotely  situated  as  it  is,  the  Animal-Flower  Cave  shouM 
only  be  visited  by  those  who  can  endure  the  ride  without 
fatigue ;  and  with  the  entrance  to  the  cave  in  the  face  of  a 
cliff  40  feet  in  height,  with  a  bridge  of  rock  to  be  crossed 
in  the  intervals  of  incoming  billows,  great  caution  is  neces- 
sary. There  is  danger  of  being  washed  off  of  the  "natural 
bridge"  giving  access  to  the  cavern,  but  when  once  within, 
the  visitor  is  safe  and  secure.  There  the  water  is  smooth  as 
glass,  and  covers  a  perfect  mosaic  of  anemones,  or  "animal 
flowers,"  of  every  hue  and  shape.     The  roof  of  the  cavern 


420  A  GUIDE  TO   THE   WEST   INDIES 

is  hung  with  stalactites,  from  which  clear  water  drops  con- 
tinually, but  no  stalagmites  are  formed,  owing  to  the  floor 
being  covered  with  salt  water.  '*A  visit  to  this  cave,"  says 
the  author  of  Stark's  Gmdc  to  Barbados,  "is  truly  a  sublime 
spectacle.  The  long  Atlantic  roll  approaches  the  headland 
in  great  unbroken  masses  until  it  comes  in  contact  with  the 
cliffs,  when  it  dashes  against  them  with  a  deafening  roar, 
filling  the  opening  of  the  cave  with  a  watery  curtain,  the 
effect  of  which  is  peculiar  and  grand.  At  the  commence- 
ment, when  the  masses  of  water  are  thick  and  compact,  al- 
most total  darkness  prevails ;  then  follows  suddenly  a 
brownish  hue.  which  changes  into  a  yellow  glare,  until  the 
wave  has  retreated,  and  a  bright  light  breaks  through  the 
opening,  again  to  be  darkened  by  the  next  incoming  wave." 
The  views  from  the  cliffs  are  magnificent,  and  the  sea-bath- 
ing to  be  had  in  this  vicinity  is  superb ;  but  that  too  great 
caution  cannot  be  used  in  gaining  entrance  to  the  cave,  the 
visitor  should  by  all  means  remember. 

Codrington  College.  This  famous  university,  the  only 
one  of  its  class  in  the  British  West  Indies,  is  situated  in  St. 
John's  parish,  15  miles  distant  from  Bridgetown,  and  can 
be  reached  by  rail  as  well  as  by  carriage  ($4  and  two  hours). 
It  was  founded  by  Sir  Christopher  Codrington  in  1710,  is 
amply  endowed,  and  for  200  years  has  been  a  most  bene- 
ficent force  for  good.  No  more  delightful  place  can  be 
imagined  than  this  as  a  retreat  for  students,  with  vine-cov- 
ered corridors  opening  upon  avenues  of  tall  and  stately 
palms.  The  university  is  connected  with  that  of  Durham, 
England,  and  its  graduates  are  eligible  for  all  degrees  in 
the  latter  institution  of  learning. 

"On  the  left,  facing  a  small  lake,  stands  the  old  mansion 
where  the  founder  lived  and  died;  it  is  now  the  Principal's 
Lodge.  Immediately  in  front  ranges  the  picturesque  fagade 
of  the  college  buildings,  built  of  gray  stone  in  the  square, 
heavily  mullioned  style  of  the  Georgian  period.  On  the 
right,  above  the  grove  of  mahogany  trees,  is  the  cricket 
ground,  where  many  a  keen  match  is  plaj^ed  between  the  stu- 
dents and  the  elevens  of  the  island  or  the  garrison.  Through 
and  beyond  the  belfry  lie  the  tennis  lawns.  The  visitor  for- 
gets for  the  moment  that  he  is  in  the  tropics,  and   fancies 


BARBADOS  421 

himself  transported  back  to  Oxford.  Here  is  the  chapel 
panelled  in  native  cedar  and  mahogany;  here  the  hall,  lofty, 
roomy,  and  distinguished  by  a  monastic  simplicity;  and  here 
the  library,  laden  with  that  scent  of  old  books,  and  breathing 
that  atmosphere  of  hushed  repose,  which  is  a  characteristic 
charm  of  all  college  libraries.  Nor  are  the  college  system 
and  rule  unlike  those  of  the  English  universities.  It  is  Ox- 
ford adapted  to  the  tropics.  The  chapel  bell  rings  its  sum- 
mons at  seven  in  the  morning,  and  in  troop  the  students  in 
academic  attire.  After  service  begin  the  lectures  of  the  day. 
?^Ien  are  earlier  risers  in  the  tropics,  and  the  reading  which 
in  England  would  be  done  at  night  is  done  here  in  the  early 
morning,  for  the  day  which  begins  at  sunrise  does  not  linger 
on  long  after  sunset.  At  four  o'clock  in  the  cool  of  the  after- 
noon the  cricket  and  tennis  begin.  Evensong  in  the  chapel 
is  sung  at  seven,  and  by  half-past  eight  or  nine  the  day  is 
over.  There  are  no  College  gates,  nor  is  there  any  locking- 
out,  for  the  heat  of  the  climate  demands  that  all  windows 
and  doors  shall  stand  open  day  and  night.  A  watchman 
guards  the  premises." 

Education  is  not  compulsory  in  Barbados,  but  ample  pro- 
vision has  been  made  for  all  classes,  by  means  of  elementary 
first  and  second  grade  schools,  the  venerable  Codrington, 
and  the  more  advanced  and  well-equipped  Harrington  Col- 
lege. The  ''Barbados  Scholarship"  of  about  $900.  awarded  an- 
nually, is  tenable  for  four  years  at  any  university  of  Great 
Britain.  Europe  or  Canada  that  is  approved  by  the  Educa- 
tion Board. 

Harrington  College  was  founded  by  a  merchant  of  that 
name  in  1733,  and  stands  in  spacious  grounds  near  the  city, 
with  many  fine  trees  to  shade  it;  but  not  so  picturesquely 
located  as  its  sister  college,  lovely  Codrington.  which  almost 
realises  one's  ideal  of  scholastic  seclusion.  It  is  a  famous 
institution,  comprehensive  and  liberal  in  its  curriculum, 
and  its  graduates  have  successfully  competed  for  scholar- 
ship honours  at  Oxford  and  Cambridge. 

Farley  Hill  and  Mansion.  One  of  the  "show-places"  of 
Barbados  is  Farley  Hill,  with  its  beautiful  mansion,  orchards 
and  fine  scenery,  once  belonging  to  the  late  Sir  Graham 
Briggs,   a   West   Indian   baronet   of  great   attainments  and 


422  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST   INDIES 

unbounded  hospitality.  The  place  is  described  at  length  in 
The  English  in  the  West  Indies,  by  James  Anthony  Froude, 
who  was  once  Sir  Graham's  guest  at  Farley  Hill.  Distance 
from  Bridgetown  i6  miles  (two  hours,  $4,  by  carriage),  a 
drive  well  worth  taking  for  views  by  the  way,  and  the  op- 
portunity for  inspecting  a  country  mansion  filled  with  art 
and  aboriginal  treasures.  St.  Peter's  parish,  in  which  Farley 
Hall  is  situated,  was  at  one  time  the  home  of  Indians,  who 
have  left  behind  them  thousands  of  objects  illustrating  their 
works  in  stone,  such  as  axes,  chisels,  spear-heads,  arrow- 
points,  etc.  Sir  Graham  Briggs  was  an  indefatigable  col- 
lector of  these,  as  well  as  of  other  antiquities,  specimens  of 
which  once  filled  the  rooms  of  his  mansion. 

"Little  England"  (though  most  of  its  people  be  black 
withal)  Barbados  has  been  called,  and  will  remain  for  many 
years.  With  its  English  churches  and  chapels-of-ease,  its 
country  mansions  in  which  dwell  hospitable  planters  of  the 
good  old  type  of  British  squire,  its  churchyards  and  monu- 
ments, its  aristocratic  officials  drawn  from  England's  higher 
ranks,  its  military  police  and  fire  brigade,  patterned  after 
the  old  country's  best,  and  its  English  customs  everywhere 
prevailing,  Barbados  is  well  entitled  to  its  appellation. 
Locally,  and  among  the  other  islands,  the  Barbadians  are 
known  as  "Bims,"  who  are  vastly  proud  of  being  '"Badians 
born  and  bred."  It  is  this  belief  in  their  little  island's  su- 
periority over  all  others  in  the  world  that  supports  them  in 
times  of  adversity,  and  blinds  them  to  the  inevitable  woes 
of  the  future.. 

The  coast  is  indented  with  beautiful  bays,  like  White 
Haven,  Conset's,  and  Martin's,  and  the  island  abounds  in 
lovely  views,  like  that  outspread  from  St.  John's  Church, 
Farley  Hill,  Mount  Misery,  and  Mount  Hillaby.  With  the 
attractions  enumerated  and  described  in  detail,  and  the  in- 
terest sure  to  be  excited  by  animated  nature  here,  the  social 
diversions,  etc.,  it  would  seem  that  Barbados  could  present 
a  fairly  complete  list  of  inducements  for  the  traveller  to 
tarry  here  at  least  a  season. 

Hotels  and  Boarding-Houses.  The  IMarine  Hotel,  at 
Hastings,  2  miles  from  Bridgetown,  largest  and  best  on  the 
island  (bar,  etc.),  $2.50  to  $4  per  day. 


13 

ID 

CI- 


BARBADOS  423 

In  Bridgetown:  the  Albion,  Cumberland  Street;  Bay  Man- 
sion, Bay  Street;  The  Ice  House,  Broad  Street;  Interna- 
tional Cafe  (bar),  High  Street;  Panama  (bar),  High  Street; 
Victoria  Hotel,  Victoria  Street. 

At  Hastings — besides  the  Marine  Hotel:  Coburg  (bar), 
Sea  View  (bar).  Boarding-house,  Miss  Marson's.  At 
Bathsheba :  Atlantis,  Bcachmount.  At  Crane :  Crane  Hotel. 
14  miles  from  Bridgetown,  on  a  cliff  over  the  sea ;  Miss 
Myer's  Boarding-house. 

Steam  Lines.  New  York  and  Barbados:  The  "Quebec 
Line,"  once  a  week,  or  every  two  weeks,  according  to  season. 
Fares:  One  way,  $40-$6o ;  return,  $8o-$i20. 

Excursion  rates  for  special  "cruises,"  taking  in  all  the 
islands  of  the  Caribbees,  $ioo-$i30 — little  more  than  three 
weeks. 

The  "Royal  Mail,"  New  York  and  Barbados,  once  a  month. 
Rate:  one  way,  $90;  return,  $162.  By  way  of  Jamaica  and 
along  the  Spanish  Main. 

The  "Booth  Line,"  New  York  and  South  America,  via 
Barbados,  every  two  weeks,  cabin  $40.  A  low-rate  round- 
trip  ticket  is  issued  by  this  line,  including  several  days'  board 
at  the  Marine  Hotel. 

"Italian  Royal  Mail,"  every  twenty  days  and  return. 

"Lamport  and  Holt,"  South  America  and  New  York,  every 
two  weeks.     Calls  at  Barbados  on  return  voyage. 

St.  John's,  Halifax  and  Barbados:  Canadian  Line  ("Pick- 
ford  and  Black's"),  every  two  weeks,  via  Bermudas  and 
Caribbees.     Fare :  One  way,  $55  ;  return,  $100. 

Southampton,  Enghjiid:  "Royal  Mail,"  every  two  weeks. 
Rate :  single,  £23 ;  return,  £36. 

Liverpool,  England:  Harrison  and  Leyland  Line  (Amal- 
gamated), every  week  and  every  ten  days. 

London,  England,  direct:  "Scrutton's  Line";  passage,  £17, 
one  way. 

Glasgozi;  Scotland:  "Prentice  Line,"  every  month. 

"Intercolonial  Service"  of  the  "Royal  Mail,"  between 
Demerara  and  St.  Thomas,  calling  at  all  the  islands,  con- 
necting with  trans-Atlantic  steamers  at  Barbados,  alternate 
Mondays. 

Cic.  Coloniale  de  Navigation  a   Vapeur,  intercolonial,  be- 


424  A  GUIDE  TO   THE  WEST   INDIES 

tween  French  islands,  Dominica,  St.  Lucia  and  Cayenne. 
There  are  also  sailing  vessels  of  small  tonnage  between 
Barbados  and  other  islands  and  Demerara. 

Telephone  service  (500  subscribers)  all  over  island;  tele- 
graphic  cable  connection  with  all   the   world. 

A  Glance  at  'Bados  History.  Barbados  was  discov- 
ered by  Spaniards,  who  named  it  Los  Barbados,  or  the 
Bearded,  from  the  beard-like  clumps  of  vines  or  tendrils 
hanging  to  the  wild  fig  trees.  They  made  no  settlement, 
however,  and  the  next  to  visit  it  were  Englishmen,  in  the 
Olive  Blossom,  fitted  out  by  Sir  Olive  Leigh  in  April, 
1605.  They  found  the  island  uninhabited,  and  left  it  so, 
the  first  settlement  being  made  by  a  company  of  their  coun- 
trymen, which  had  been  sent  out  by  Sir  William  Courteen, 
in  two  large  vessels,  with  forty  emigrants  and  eight  negroes 
who  had  been  captured  on  the  voyage.  Driven  to  Barbados 
by  stress  of  weather,  they  landed  on  the  Leeward  side  and 
formed  a  settlement  which  they  named  Jamestown  (as  some 
Englishmen  had  done  seventeen  years  previously  in  Vir- 
ginia). This  place  is  now  called  Holetown,  and  is  about  7 
miles  distant  from  Bridgetown,  the  capital.  It  was  of  some 
importance  in  1700,  when  it  had  a  fort,  the  remains  of  which 
may  still  be  seen.  The  parish  church  here,  Saint  James,  has 
a  tombstone  bearing  date  1669,  a  marble  font,  date  1684.  and 
an  antique  communion  service,  while  in  its  baptistry  is  an 
old  bell,  with  the  inscription :  "God  bless  King  William, 
1696." 

This  first  settlement  dates  from  1625,  but  in  1627  the  Earl 
of  Carlisle  obtained  from  King  James  a  grant  of  all  the 
Caribbees,  and  he  sent  out  a  native  of  Bermuda,  one  Wolfer- 
stone,  as  governor.  He  landed  in  a  protected  situation  which 
he  called  Carlisle  Bay,  and  commenced  here  a  settlement 
which  he  named  Bridgetown,  from  a  bridge  thrown  across 
a  stream  at  this  point.  It  was  not  long  before  the  two  parties 
came  into  conflict  respecting  their  rights,  but  the  "Leeward 
Men,"  as  the  Jamestown  people  were  termed,  suffered  de- 
feat. In  the  second  party  was  a  son  of  John  Winthrop 
(governor  of  the  Massachusetts  Bay  colony.  1629)  and  other 
men  of  note.  The  colony  prospered,  though  at  the  time  of 
its  foundation  there  were  no  aboriginal  inhabitants  on  the 


BARBADOS  425 

island,  few  if  any  plants  suitable  for  snstentation,  and  no 
wild  animals  save  some  hogs,  which  had  been  left  there  by 
Spaniards  or  Portuguese. 

In  1645  the  population  comprised  18,000  immigrants,  of 
which  number  more  than  11,000  were  then  landed  proprie- 
tors. Five  years  later  the  number  had  increased'  to  30,000, 
one-fifth  of  whom  were  negro  slaves,  and  it  was  in  this 
period  greatly  augmented  by  many  wealthy  Royalists  from 
England,  who  fled  to  Barbados  for  refuge,  became  planters, 
and  enriched  the  colony.  The  Royalist  party  in  Barbados 
became  so  strong,  in  fact,  that  when  news  was  received  of 
Charles  the  First's  execution,  the  Barbadians  at  once  pro- 
claimed themselves  the  subjects  of  Charles  the  Second  as 
their  lawful  sovereign.  Lord  Willoughby,  a  Royalist  exile, 
was  elected  governor,  and  under  him  the  people  resisted, 
though  vainly,  a  fleet  and  force  sent  against  them  by  Parlia- 
ment in  165 1.  After  the  Restoration  in  1662,  Lord  Wil- 
loughby entered  claims  against  Barbados,  which  were  satis- 
fied by  the  imposition  of  a  duty  on  all  exports  of  4^  per 
cent.,  which  was  not  abolished   until    1838. 

Between  1650  and  1675  Barbados  possessed  almost  as  many 
white  inhabitants  as  it  contains  to-day,  for  there  could  be 
only  a  certain  number  of  landed  proprietors,  while  the 
negro  slaves  increased  prodigiously,  so  that  by  the  middle 
of  the  eighteenth  century  there  were  more  than  60,000  in  the 
island.  White  slaves  were  introduced  from  England  be- 
tw^een  1650  and  1660,  when  several  thousand  unfortunate 
Irish  and  Scotsmen  were  sold  to  the  planters  at  1.500 
pounds  of  sugar  per  head.  They  were  treated  with  great 
inhumanity,  and  reduced  to  the  level  of  the  negroes  them- 
selves, but  eventually  some  of  them  became  planters  and 
proprietors,  and  Barbados  has  seen  no  white  slaves  within 
its  borders  for  the  past  two  hundred  years.  Negro  slavery 
was  abolished  in  1834,  hut  since  emancipation  Barbados  has 
continued  to  prosper  until  a  recent  period.  To  obtain  labour- 
ers on  their  plantations,  the  Barbadians  sent  expeditions  to 
the  neighbouring  islands  for  Indians,  and  an  episode  arising 
from  one  of  these  is  chronicled  in  the  story  entitled  Vinkle 
and  Yarico.  A  beautiful  Indian  maiden  fell  in  love  with  an 
Englishman  engaged  in  one  of  these  expeditions,  and  by  him 


426  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST   INDIES 

was  taken  to  Barbados  and  sold  into  slavery,  together  with 
the  unborn  child  of  which  he  was  the  father.  The  story  was 
told  by  Richard  Steele  in  the  Spectator. 

Washington's  Visit  to  Barbados.  The  story  of  Barba- 
dos becomes  somewhat  prosaic  after  the  seventeenth  cen- 
tury, varied  by  several  uprisings  of  the  negroes,  which  in- 
variably ended  in  the  gibbeting,  burning  alive,  or  beheading 
of  the  ringleaders.  About  the  middle  of  the  eighteenth  cen- 
tury, or  in  the  winter  of  1751-52,  George  Washington,  then 
ranking  as  major  in  the  British  colonial  army,  made  his  only 
foreign  voyage.  It  was  to  Barbados,  which  was  thus  the 
only  foreign  country  ever  visited  by  the  "Father  of  his 
Country."  then  twenty  years  of  age.  He  went  there  with  his 
brother,  Lawrence,  who  was  far  gone  in  consumption  and 
sought  Barbados,  the  fame  of  which  had  reached  him.  as  a 
last  resort.  The  two  brothers  arrived  at  Bridgetown  Novem- 
ber 3.  1751,  and  George  remained  there  until  December  226., 
when  he  left  for  Virginia,  where  he  arrived  February  i,  1752. 
As  was  customary  with  this  painstaking,  methodical  indi- 
vidual, he  kept  a  journal  of  his  doings,  daily  setting  down 
every  event  of  importance  and  otherwise.  The  traditional 
'Badian  hospitality  was  shown  him  and  his  brother,  the  latter 
then  famous  as  one  who  had  served  in  the  Cartagena  cam- 
paign of  1740-42.  and  under  date  of  November  4th  he  re- 
cords: "This  morning  received  a  card  from  Major  Clark. 
welcoming  us  to  Barbados,  with  an  invitation  to  breakfast 
and  dine  with  him.  We  went,  myself  with  some  reluctance, 
as  the  smallpox  was  in  his  family,  and  were  received  in  the 
most  kind  and  friendly  manner  by  him."  His  fears  as  to 
contracting  the  smallpox  were  soon  after  justified,  for  on 
the  17th  of  the  month  he  was  "strongly  attacked,"  and  did 
not  go  out  again  until  December  12th.  Ten  days  later  he 
sailed  for  Virginia,  leaving  Lawrence  in  the  care  of  friends, 
intending  to  join  him  in  Bermuda  with  the  latter's  wife;  but 
the  invalid  eventually  returned  home  without  him,  and  ex- 
pired at  Mount  Vernon,  leaving  to  his  devoted  brother  that 
famous  estate  with  which  his  name  is  so  intimately  associated. 

The  cottage  in  which  the  brothers  resided  during  their 
stay  was,  according  to  Washington's  diary:  "Very  pleasantly 
situated,  pretty  near  the  Sea,  and  about  a  mile  from  Town.  . 


BARBADOS  427 

The  prospect  is  extensive  by  Land  and  pleasant  by  Sea,  as 
we  command  the  prospect  of  Carlyle  Bay  and  all  the  Ship- 
ping in  such  a  manner  that  none  can  go  in  or  out  without 
being  open  to  our  View." 

Barbados  was  never  invaded  by  a  foreign  foe,  but  often 
took  part  in  the  wars  that  raged  in  the  islands,  sending  sol- 
diers to  the  aid  of  the  English  fighting  the  French  in  St. 
Kitts,  Martinique  and  St.  Lucia.  In  the  year  1805  the 
Barbadians  were  honoured  by  a  visit  from  Lord  Nelson, 
whose  victory  and  death  that  year  at  Trafalgar  they  later 
commemorated  by  a  statue,  which  is  in  evidence  yet.  The 
same  year  a  court-martial  was  held  on  a  warship  in  Carlisle 
Bay,  upon  the  surrender  by  Captain  Maurice  and  his  company 
of  180  men.  of  what  the  English  styled  his  Majesty's  late 
sloop.  Diamond  Rock.  This  "sloop  of  war"  was  the  great 
rock  off  ]\Iartinique  (alluded  to  in  the  description  of  that 
island),  which  was  defended  for  months  by  these  gallant 
men,  who  only  surrendered  when  compelled  by  impending 
starvation,  and  were  honourably  acquitted  by  the  court- 
martial. 

At  the  breaking  out  of  the  American  Revolution.  Barba- 
dos had  a  population  of  12,000  white  inhabitants  and  80.000 
blacks,  or  nearly  half  as  many  as  it  now  contains.  It  was 
prosperous,  too.  as  well  as  populous,  though  it  sent  in  1778 
a  petition  of  relief  to  the  home  government,  which,  notwith- 
standing its  enormous  outlay  in  America,  sent  the  island 
3.000  barrels  of  flour,  and  3,000  barrels  of  herring,  peas  and 
beans,  to  be  sold  to  the  people  at  cost.  French  and  Ameri- 
can privateers  vexed  the  coast  of  Barbados  occasionally,  but 
beyond  the  loss  of  a  mail-packet  now  and  then,  the  island 
suffered  little  from  their  depredations.  The  French  ravaged 
other  and  less  prosperous  islands,  as  St.  Kitts  and  St. 
Lucia,  but  let  Barbados  alone.  In  the  War  of  1812,  however, 
Barbados  suft'ered  severely,  for  at  that  time  the  American 
privateers  were  alert  and  numerous.  Her  commerce  was  for 
a  while  in  jeopardy,  and  it  was  not  strange  that  the  treaty 
of  peace  in  1815  was  hailed  with  rejoicings. 

The  year  18 r6  was  signalised  by  the  worst  insurrection  of 
the  negroes  the  island  ever  experienced,  it  was  so  well 
planned,    so   widespread   and   sanguinary.     Cane   fields   and 


428  A  GUIDE  TO   THE  WEST   INDIES 

estate  houses  were  set  on  fire,  and  the  conflagration  of  re- 
bellion spread  with  the  flames  until  the  whole  island  was 
involved.  Then  the  Barbadians  realised  that  they  were  on 
the  brink  of  a  volcano,  and  that  only  the  most  strenuous 
exertions  could  save  them  from  extinction.  By  the  aid  of 
the  troops  (without  which  the  island  should  never  be  left, 
so  long  as  the  population  is  so  overwhelmingly  black)  the  in- 
surrection was  finally  quelled.  More  than  500  mutineers 
were  sent  aboard  ship  for  exile,  and  several  were  executed  in 
the  island.  While  the  slave  trade  had  been  prohibited  in 
the  first  decade  of  the  nineteenth  century,  final  emancipation 
did  not  come  till  1834-38,  when  slavery  ceased  in  the  island, 
as  throughout  the  West  Indies.  Of  the  £20,000.000  decreed  by 
the  British  Government  as  compensation  to  the  planters, 
about  £1,800,000  sterling  came  to  Barbados. 
Aside  from  the  occasional  outbreaks  among  the  blacks, 
Barbados  has  rejoiced  in  uninterrupted  peace  for  centuries. 
Nearly  all  its  disturbances  are  extrinsic,  proceeding  from 
hurricanes  or  volcanic  eruptions  in  other  islands.  It  can- 
not be  denied  that  the  island  is  within  the  hurricane  area,  for 
it  has  been  several  times  devastated,  so  recently  as  1898,  hav- 
ing sufl'ered  a  loss  of  11,000  dwellings,  and  many  lives, 
though  the  houses  were  mainly  huts  with  roofs  of  palm 
thatch.  In  1812,  after  the  eruption  of  the  Soufriere  of  St. 
Vincent,  the  island  was  covered  with  volcanic  grit,  or  dust, 
and  again  in  1902.  This  deposit  is  said  to  have  fertilised  the 
soil ;  but  doubtless  the  Barbadians  would  rather  have  had 
it  less  precipitately  thrust  upon  them,  as  at  the  time  the 
island  was  enveloped  in  darkness  for  hours,  and  many 
thought  that  the  end  of  the  world  had  come.  The  chief 
concern  of  the  Barbadians  relates  to  the  price  of  sugar,  as 
upon  that  commodity  all  their  hopes  are  centred.  Low 
prices  mean  poverty  and  distress  for  this  fair  island,  the  in- 
habitants of  which  are  making  desperate  efforts  to  avoid 
paying  the  penalty  for  "putting  all  their  eggs  into  one 
basket."  They  are  a  brave  and  self-respecting  people,  the 
whites  being  energetic  and  enterprising,  the  blacks  in- 
dustrious. 


o 


GRENADA  AND  THE  GRENADINES 

Physical  Characteristics.  They  have  character  enough, 
those  low-lying  Grenadines,  which  we  first  encounter  to  the 
southward  of  Saint  Vincent,  from  which  they  are  separated 

(as  a  group  or  chain)  by  a  very  narrow  channel.  They 
constitute  a  connecting  chain  between  St.  Vincent  and 
Grenada,  and  as  they  are  rarely  if  ever  visited  by  steam 
vessels,  may  be  considered  as  beyond  the  tourist's  ken.  But, 
again,  nothing  that  is  of  interest  in  the  West  Indies  should  be 
overlooked  in  a  comprehensive  Guide  to  those  islands,  and  cer- 
tainly the  little  Grenadines  come  within  the  scope  of  this  one. 

Beginning  with  the  northernmost  islet,  Becquia,  we  find  that 
the  chain  consists  of  a  varied  assortment — islets,  rocks,  pin- 
nacles of  submerged  mountains,  rising  just  above  the  waves — 
but  hardly  of  islands  large  enough  to  merit  the  name,  and 
that  they  extend  over  about  a  degree  of  latitude.  Yet  Becquia 
is  6  miles  in  length  by  a  mile  in  breadth,  and  has  a  range  of 
hills  800  feet  in  height ;  while  the  southernmost  of  all,  Caria- 
cou.  which  is  the  largest  of  the  chain,  has  a  population  of 
more  rather  than  under  6,000.  They  are  mostly  black 
and  coloured,  these  inhabitants  of  the  extremely  isolated 
Grenadines,  and  are  exceedingly  apathetic.  The  sea  yields 
them  sufficient  for  the  day,  and  they  trouble  themselves  to 
look  ahead  for  no  longer  period.  Their  sterile  lands  produce 
cotton  and  cane  enough  to  supply  them  with  commodities 
not  obtainable  from  the  sea,  and  thus  they  are  content.  The 
contrast  between  these  silent,  sleepy  islands  (whose  inhab- 
itants are  contented  merely  to  exist,  so  it  be  without  work) 
and  Barbados,  less  than  100  miles  away,  where  the  people 
all  must  either  labour  or  starve,  is  most  refreshing.  Some 
of  the  isles,  like  Becquia,  Baliccaux,  Battozvia,  and  others, 
are  owned  by  single  individuals,  who  raise  cattle,  sheep,  and 
goats.  As  all  are  well  stocked  by  nature  with  wild  doves, 
ducks,  plover,  and  other  migrants  in  their  season,  and  as  their 
shores  are  surrounded  by  myriads  of  sea-fowl,  no  one  need 
starve  or  go  hungry  so  long  as  he  can  "tote  a  gun." 


430  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST  INDIES 

The  general  appearance  of  the  Grenadines  is  that  of  a  nearly 
submerged  line  of  mountains.  Sometimes  an  entire  ridge 
is  exposed ;  again,  only  a  single  conical  peak  or  mound  of 
verdure  appears  just  above  the  water,  and  the  question  quite 
naturally  arises,  Were  these  islands  ever  connected  with  the 
mainlands  to  the  north  and  south  of  them?  Did  they,  as 
Humboldt  queries,  ''belong  to  the  southern  continent  and  form 
a  portion  of  its  littoral  chain,"  like  Tobago  and  Trinidad  ?  It  is 
easy  to  connect  these  mountain  peaks  peering  above  the  sea 
with  a  once  existing  and  now  submerged  continent,  which 
extended  over  the  vast  space  now  covered  by  the  Caribbean 
Sea,  and  far  into  the  Atlantic,  toward  the  west  coast  of 
Africa.  This  would  give  us  the  "Lost  Atlantis"  of  the 
ancients ;  and  perhaps  it  was  not  a  myth,  after  all,  but  had 
once  a  real  existence,  and  the  land  discovered  by  those 
Tyrian  navigators  of  the  "year  one,"  who  sailed  out  of  the 
Mediterranean  far  beyond  the  Pillars  of  Hercules,  was  indeed 
part  of  a  continent  now  beneath  these  very  waves ! 

W^e  will  leave  these  speculations  to  the  geologists  and  sail 
on  toward  Grenada.  About  midway  the  chain  we  perceive  a 
group  of  three  islands,  near  together,  with  a  few  water- 
surrounded  peaks  between  them;  but  they  appear  like  whole 
chines  of  ridges.  The  first  of  these  is  Canouan,  where  reside 
the  numerous  descendants  of  a  one-time  patriarch,  who, 
though  connected  with  an  English  baronet  of  recent  creation, 
came  hither  and  established  himself,  "monarch  of  all  he  sur- 
veyed." The  next  islet.  Union,  is  very  attractive  in  outline, 
and  on  near  approach  reveals  a  virgin  vegetation,  with  but 
little  cultivation,  though  the  inhabitants  are  expert  whale 
fishers  and  build  boats  that  are  famous  the  chain  throughout. 
Last  of  all  is  Cariacou,  largest  and  most  densely  populated, 
the  home  of  sturdy  planters  and  fishermen.  The  entire  chain 
has  an  aggregate  area  of  about  8.000  acres.  Down  at  the 
end  of  it,  last  and  southernmost  of  the  volcanic  Caribbees, 
we  find  Grenada,  which  emerges  from  the  purple  haze  as 
we  draw  nearer  and  stands  revealed,  a  volcano  in  miniature. 

The  Last  of  the  Caribbees.  The  semi-lunar  figure  described 
by  the  general  trend  of  the  Caribbees  cannot  have  failed 
to  impress  the  observer,  and  also  their  regularity  of  spacing 
on  the  map.    Taking  them  in  sequence,  from  north  to  south, 


GRENADA  AND  THE  GRENADINES  431 

they  will  be  found  about  30  miles  apart,  all  the  way  from 
Saba  and  Saint  Kitts  to  Grenada.  Taking  this  last-named 
island  as  centre,  a  60-mile  circuit  touches  St.  Vincent,  Tobago, 
Trinidad,  and  includes  all  the  Grenadines.  The  last  of  the 
true  Caribbees,  or  volcanic  islands,  sailing  southward,  we 
find  to  be  Grenada,  for  it  terminates  the  chain,  at  exactly 
the  twelfth  degree  of  latitude  north  of  the  equator.  It  is  from 
18  to  20  miles  in  length  and  10  to  12  in  breadth,  lying  about 
70  miles  to  the  south  of  St.  Vincent,  100  miles  southwest  of 
Barbados,  and  96  north  of  Trinidad.  It  is  mountainous,  and 
consequently  picturesque,  with  its  central  volcano  (now  qui- 
escent) containing  several  craters,  with  sparkling  lakes  within 
their  walls  of  vine-draped  rock,  forest-covered  hills  and 
tropical  vegetation  in  general.  Of  its  85,000  acres,  rugged  as 
they  are,  some  30,000  are  cultivated,  or,  rather,  are  occupied, 
mainly  by  black  "peasant  proprietors,"  who  lead  an  idyllic 
existence,  with  plenty  to  eat,  little  to  wear,  and  no  more 
cares  to  trouble  them  than  most  four-footed  animals. 

The  Volcanic  Harbour  of  St.  George's.  Grenada's  only 
port  of  any  size  at  which  the  steamers  call  is  on  the  south- 
western shore,  and  is  known  as  Saint  George's.  Its  land- 
locked harbour,  120  acres  in  area,  is  considered  one  of  the 
finest  in  the  West  Indies.  It  is  commanded  by  an  ancient 
fort  perched  upon  a  bold  promontory — a  fort  built  by  the 
French  during  their  oft-interrupted  occupation,  and  finally 
taken  by  the  British,  who  have  held  it  for  more  than  a  hun- 
dred years.  The  harbour  of  St.  George's  Bay  was  undoubt- 
edly formed  by  volcanic  forces,  and  is  barely  more  than  a 
volcanic  fissure.  The  hundred-fathom  sounding  is  not  far 
from  shore,  and  while  veins  of  very  deep  water  extend  in- 
shore from  the  sea,  on  all  sides  of  them  the  water  is  too 
shallow  for  ships. 

A  Picturesque  Town.  An  exquisite  picture  is  outspread 
before  one  from  the  ship's  deck  or  from  the  hill  fort,  of 
mountains  rising  above  mountains  until  the  topmost  heights 
are  lost  in  clouds.  The  town  of  Saint  George's  contains 
some  6.000  of  the  island's  64,000  inhabitants,  and  most  of 
these,  as  in  the  country  districts,  are  either  black  or  coloured. 
It  spreads  itself  over  a  "hog-backed"  isthmus,  between  hills 
and  promontory,  pierced  with  a  tunnel,  to  avoid  the  steep- 


432  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST  INDIES 

ness  of  the  streets,  which  are  well  paved,  but  water  worn. 
The  views,  especially  from  Government  House,  which  is  set 
in  very  attractive  grounds,  and  from  the  old  fortifications  on 
Richmond  Heights,  are  superb.  If  it  be  one's  desire  to  see 
(perhaps  for  the  first  time)  the  glorious  Southern  Cross 
flaming  above  the  distant  South  American  mainland,  the  old 
fort  on  the  headland  should  be  visited  at  night;  and  by  day 
it  is  a  pleasant  place  to  wander  in,  with  its  ruined  parapet, 
shrubbery-hidden  bastion,  and  rusty  cannon. 

Climate  and  Products.  St.  George's  houses  are  mostly 
old  and  weather-stained,  but  they  are  picturesque ;  the  public 
buildings  are  massive  in  their  construction,  the  churches 
conspicuous,  set  as  they  are  upon  the  hills.  The  climate  (pro- 
vided one  does  not  have  to  climb  that  fearsome  hill  too 
often  at  midday)  will  be  found  healthful,  though  hot.  There 
are  few  endemic  diseases  here,  and  the  island  is  almost 
exempt  from  disastrous  hurricanes.  It  will  soon  be  per- 
ceived that  the  staple  products  of  Grenada  are  cacao,  sugar, 
and  rum,  in  about  the  order  mentioned.  The  cacao  is  ex- 
ported; but  the  sugar  and  rum  are  consumed  on  the  island, 
the  latter  to  the  amount  of  60,000  gallons  a  year,  or  about 
a  gallon  per  head  for  every  man,  woman,  and  child  in 
Grenada !  From  this  it  will  be  seen  that  the  facility  with 
which  they  can  gain  a  living  here  is  not  the  sole  reason  why 
the  black  men  have  a  love  and  liking  for  the  island.  All  the 
"ground  provisions"  for  which  the  West  Indies  are  noted, 
besides  cacao,  coffee,  tropic  fruits,  kola-nuts,  and  spices, 
may  be  produced  here  in  abundance,  and  hence  Grenada  has 
been  called  "the  Spice  Island  of  the  Caribbees." 

Excursions  from  St.  George's.  North,  east,  and  southeast 
of  the  town  the  verdurous  hills  rise  amphitheatre-like,  and 
mere  words  cannot  do  justice  to  their  beauty.  One  longs  to 
see  more  of  an  island  which  gives  such  promise  at  the  outset ; 
and,  truth  to  tell,  a  stay  of  at  least  a  week  in  Grenada  will 
not  be  time  misspent  by  any  means.  While  a  resort  for  the 
Trinidadians  and  others  to  the  southward,  who  come  here 
as  to  a  northern  region  with  cooler  airs  than  their  own 
heated  isles  can  boast,  Grenada  has  not  become  so  well  known 
to  dwellers  of  the  temperate  zone  in  general.  Many  years 
have  elapsed  since  the  writer  of  these  lines  first  landed  in 


GRENADA  AND  THE  GRENADINES  433 

Grenada,  hired  a  guide,  and  broke  into  the  mountain  forests, 
looking  for  adventure;  yet  the  island  seems  about  the  same 
to-day  as  then.  There  has  been,  however,  a  steady  gain  in 
material  wealth,  which  is  more  generally  distributed  than  in 
other  islands.  Even  thirty  years  ago  Grenada  had  prac- 
tically abandoned  the  cultivation  of  sugar-cane  for  the  more 
profitable  cacao,  and  now  its  people  are  embarked  in  spices 
as  well.  The  airs  that  drift  down  to  the  harbour  from  the 
hills  are  incense-laden,  and  gleaming  among  the  vegetation 
of  the  plantations  and  gardens  one  may  see  the  nutmeg  and 
clove,  as  well  as  great  fat  cacao  pods,  golden  oranges,  and 
guava  fruits. 

The  plantations  of  the  "peasant  proprietors,"  who  are 
mostly  negroes,  redeemed  from  slavery  and  laziness,  are 
worth  the  visiting,  and  if  the  population  were  more  generally 
Caucasian  rather  than  African  the  visitor  might  be  tempted 
to  stay  here  permanently,  purchase  a  spice  and  cacao  estate, 
and  settle  down  for  life.  As  to  the  resources  of  Grenada 
for  the  settler,  one  should  consult  the  excellent  pamphlets 
published  by  the  Imperial  Department  of  Agriculture,  at  the 
head  of  which  is  the  Royal  Commissioner,  Sir  Daniel  Morris, 
with  headquarters  at  Bridgetown,  Barbados. 

The  Grand  Etang,  or  Mountain  Lake.  There  is  an  attract- 
ive "carciiage"  opposite  the  town,  where  sand  beaches  tempt 
one  to  take  a  morning  plunge  in  the  bay,  and  a  clear-water 
stream  comes  down  from  the  hills  for  ablution  afterward; 
but  if  one  lingers  in  town  one  cannot  see  what  the  country 
has  to  offer.  That  is  beyond  dispute,  so  we  will  hie  our- 
selves first  to  the  mountains.  The  highest  mountain,  St.  Cath- 
erine, exceeds  3.000  feet,  and  its  various  spurs  enclose  de- 
lectable vales  wherein  run  crystal  streams,  and  in  some  of 
them  nestle  lakes,  that  are  said  to  occupy  the  craters  of  the 
old  volcano.  The  most  accessible  and  also  the  most  attractive 
lake  of  this  sort  is  situated  about  6  miles  distant  from 
St.  George's,  half  way  over  the  mountain  road  to  the  town 
of  Grenville.  It  is  between  20  and  30  acres  in  area,  and  lies 
at  an  elevation  of  1.700  feet  above  the  sea.  While  it  has 
but  one  outlet  visible,  it  is  supposed  to  supply  subterranean 
streams  that  break  out  in  various  parts  of  the  island.  The 
forests  surrounding  it  are  dense  and   tropical,   the  haunts 


434  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST   INDIES 

of  wild  monkeys,  agntis,  and  wild  pigeons,  or  "ramiers." 
There  is  a  government  "rest-house"  here,  on  the  crest  of 
the  divide  between  the  Leeward  and  the  Windward  shores, 
and  also  a  sanatorium,  which  latter  is  conducted  by  the  chief 
hotel  at  St.  George's.  As  there  are  no  venomous  reptiles  in 
the  island,  and  but  few  insects  whose  stings  are  dangerous, 
the  "High  Woods"  of  Grenada  present  fascinating  lures  to 
those  who  would  become  acquainted  with  tropical  nature, 
and  a  more  tempting  retreat  it  would  be  difficult  to  find  than 
that  afforded  by  the  Grand  Etang.  There  is  another  large 
lake  of  this  sort  in  the  parish  of  St.  Patrick,  and  several 
spots  are  favoured  with  salt  and  mineral  springs,  but  such 
as  are  somewhat  common  in  all  the  volcanic  islands  of  the 
chain.  Many  streams  run  down  the  mountain-sides,  all  of 
them  clear  and  sparkling,  and  some  unite  to  supply  the  capital 
Avith  its  water,  which  is  both  abundant  and  pure. 

"Grenada,  with  its  charming  tropical  scenery  and  mild  and 
healthy  climate,  ought  to  be  a  most  attractive  resort  for 
tourists,  and.  when  better  known,  and  the  hotel  accommoda- 
tion is  on  a  larger  scale,  it  will  undoubtedly  become  a 
favourite  rendezvous  in  the  winter  months.  The  best  of  the 
present  hotels  is  The  Home,  situated  in  Young  and  Monck- 
ton  streets,  St.  George's,  within  50  yards  of  the  wharf,  and 
here  the  traveller  will  receive  every  attention  for  moderate 
charges.  This  hotel  has  been  much  improved  under  new 
managenient,  and  can  be  recommended.  In  the  town  and 
its  vicinity  there  are  many  places  of  interest  that  will  repay 
a  visit.  There  is  the  old  fort  with  its  romantic  past;  the 
Botanic  Garden  (easily  reached  by  boat),  where  an  hour  or 
two  may  be  pleasantly  spent  in  the  luxuriant  vegetation  of 
the  tropics;  the  Queen's  Park,  where  in  the  evenings  tennis, 
cricket,  and  other  open-air  sports  and  games  are  enjoyed 
by  the  youth  of  the  community;  Richmond  Hill,  750  feet  up, 
with  its  chain  of  forts  and  government  institutions,  whence  a 
bird's-eye  view  of  town  and  harbour  may  be  obtained  after 
twenty  minutes'  ride  or  drive;  and  last,  but  not  least,  the 
Carenage  itself,  which  is  perfect  for  boating.  There  is  an 
excellent  club  located  in  a  building  facing  the  Carenage, 
which  bears  a  well-deserved  reputation  for  hospitality ;  and 
close  by  is  a  public  library  and  reading  room,  open  from 
10  A.M.  to  9  P.M.  (on  Sundays,  from  2  to  6  p.m.,  and  on  pub- 
lic holidays  from  2  to  9  p.m.),  where  the  latest  newspapers 
and  periodicals  can  be  perused  free,  and  books  can  be  bor- 
rowed on  payment  of  a  shilling  per  quarter.  Perfect  sea- 
bathing  is    obtainable   at   Grand  Ance  Bay,   within   fifteen 


GRENADA  AND  THE  GRENADINES  435 

minutes'  row  by  boat,  and  may  also  be  had,  combined  with  a 
subsequent  fresh-water  douche,  at  the  Spout  in  the  Carenage. 

"The  roads  in  the  neighbourhood  of  St.  George's  are  ex- 
cellent and  drivable,  and  buggies  and  ponies  are  to  be  had 
for  hire.*  Visitors  will  enjoy  a  ride  of  6  miles  to  the  Grand 
Efang,  a  lake  situated  1,800  feet  above  sea  level  near  the 
centre  of  the  island.  Forest  paths  round  the  lake  and  along 
an  adjoining  ridge  enable  those  who  do  not  mind  somewhat 
rough  walking  to  pass  through  virgin  forest  and  to  see  views 
of  tropical  scenery  which  are  difficult  to  surpass.  Here  will 
be  found  a  government  rest-house,  where  refreshment  can 
be  obtained,  arid,  if  desired,  some  pleasant  days  spent  in  the 
bracing  mountain  air.  A  sanatorium  has  also  been  erected 
here,  and  is  available  for  invalids  and  others  to  recuperate. 
The  management  of  this  and  of  the  rest-house  has  been  en- 
trusted to  The  Home  Hotel,  and  visitors  can  be  assured  of 
receiving  care  and  attention,  and  excellent  refreshments. 
There  is  a  macadamised  path  to  the  lake,  good  in  all 
weathers,  and  a  river  skiff  is  kept  for  hire  at  a  moderate 
charge.  The  temperature  here  is  very  pleasant,  rarely  rising 
over  75"",  and  being  often  below  60°,  and  under  the  improved 
conditions  now  established  the  place  is  much  resorted  to  by 
local  residents  and  by  visitors  from  Trinidad.  The  rest- 
house  is  connected  to  the  telephone  system  of  the  colony. 
Not  far  from  the  lake  is  the  mountain  known  as  Monie 
Fedon,  the  headquarters  of  the  rebels  in  1795,  where  Lieu- 
tenant-Governor Home  and  forty-seven  other  white  persons 
were  massacred ;  from  this  point  a  commanding  view  of  both 
sides  of  the  inland  is  obtained,  and  the  plateau  at  the  top  is  a 
favourite  spot  for  picnic  parties  and  camping  out.  On  the 
north  of  the  island  there  are  two  other  pretty  lakes,  one 
known  as  Lake  Antoine,  situated  on  a  mountain  (both  this 
and  the  Grand  Etang  were  evidently  old  volcanic  craters), 
and  the  other  as  Lake  Levera. 

"There  are  four  other  towns  in  the  island,  reached  either 
by  road  or  steamer,  to  which  visits  may  be  paid,  and  a  pho- 
tographer would  reap  a  rich  harvest  of  tropical  scenes.  At 
the  town  of  Sauteurs  can  be  seen  th?  precipice  over  which 
the  French  drove  a  number  of  Caribs  into  the  sea  at  the  point 
of  the  bayonet  in  the  year  165 1,  the  place  being  thereafter 
called  'Le  Morne  des  Sauteurs,'  or  'Leapers'  Hill.'  There 
are  two  Carib  relics  to  be  seen  in  the  shape  of  sculptured 
stones,  one  at  Mount  Rich  in  St.  Patrick's  parish,  and  the 
other  near  the  town  of  Victoria. 

"A  steamer  plies  weekly  between  St.  George's  and  the  town 
of  Hillsborough  in  the  dependency  of  Cariacou,  leaving  at 
12  noon  on  Thursday  and  returning  at  5  p.m.  on  Friday,  so 

*  The  principal  livery  stables  are  kept  by  The  Home  Hotel,  their 
charges  regulated  by  law. 


436  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST   INDIES 

that  visits  can  easily  be  paid  to  that  pretty  island  and  its 
interesting  natural  harbour,  the  'Grand  Carenage,'  from 
which  a  plentiful  supply  of  excellent  oysters  is  obtained  in  the 
season.  From  the  new  hospital  there,  at  Bellevue,  in  the 
centre  of  the  island,  o'ne  of  the  most  perfect  views  in  the 
West  Indies  may  be  seen  on  a  clear  evening,  when  St.  Vincent 
on  the  north  and  Grenada  in  the  south,  68  miles  apart,  with 
the  chain  of  Grenadine  islets  lying  like  small  gems  in  between 
them,  are  clearly  visible.  Here,  too,  those  interested  in  such 
matters  may  observe  the  practical  development  of  a  scheme, 
conducted  by  the  Government,  of  settlement  of  peasant  pro- 
prietors on  allotments  cut  out  of  abandoned  sugar  estates, 
and  the  creation  thereby  of  a  body  of  contented  landowners 
where,  a  few  years  ago.  there  were  only  desolation  and 
acacia  scrub." — From  the  Grenada  Handbook,  issue  of  1907. 

Towns  Worth  Visiting.  Twelve  miles  north  of  St.  George's, 
on  the  same  Leeward  coast,  lies  Gotiyavc  (as  the  French 
called  it),  now  known  as  Charlotte  Town,  with  its  humble 
houses  built  along  a  curving  sand-beach  between  the  hills 
and  the  shore.  Then  there  are  smaller  settlements,  like 
Victoria,  or  Grand  Paiivre,  Saiitenrs,  and  Grenville,  which 
last  is  next  to  the  capital  in  size  and  importance.  It  is  situ- 
ated, however,  on  the  Windward  coast,  and  its  spacious 
harbour  is  almost  barred  from  entrance  by  the  sea,  owing 
to  a  line  of  reefs,  upon  which  the  surges  continually  beat. 
The  market-places  of  these  towns  present  very  interesting 
spectacles  on  Saturdays,  especially  in  Grenville,  where  people 
from  adjacent  parishes,  as  well  as  many  from  the  Grenadines, 
assemble  for  barter. 

The  Hill  of  the  Leapers.  The  history  of  Grenada  previous 
to  its  conquest  is  similar  to  that  of  all  the  other  islands,  north 
as  well  as  south  of  it.  That  is,  it  had  no  history  until  the 
French  and  English  qame  here,  and  first  subjugated,  then 
destroyed,  its  aboriginal  inhabitants.  These,  as  found  in 
possession  by  the  Europeans,  were  Caribs,  descended  from 
Indians  of  Guiana,  who  had  wandered  here  in  their  canoes. 
Finding  the  island  well  stocked  with  game  and  its  waters 
with  fish,  they  made  it  their  home.  About  the  middle  of 
the  seventeenth  century,  or  in  1650,  to  be  exact,  the  governor 
of  Martinique,  ]\I.  du  Parquet,  came  hither  for  conquest, 
accompanied  by  200  followers.  He  was  prepared  for  war, 
but  finding  the   Caribs  tractable,   opened   negotiations   with 


GRENADA  AND  THE  GRENADINES  437 

them  and  soon  acquired  supreme  control.  He  accomplished 
his  purpose  by  craft  and  not  through  force  of  arms,  for, 
being  well  provided  with  knives,  glass  beads,  hatchets,  and 
such  like  things  craved  by  the  aborigines,  he  won  their  lands 
from  them  without  delay.  That  is,  he  procured  a  landing- 
place  and  site  for  a  settlement  by  means  of  these  gewgaws, 
but  subsequently  acquired  sovereignty  over  almost  the  whole 
island  by  presenting  the  chief  with  two  bottles  of  brandy. 
The  current  tradition  has  it  that  Grenada  was  obtained  for 
two  bottles  of  rum,  but  it  was  probably  brandy;  at  any 
rate,  the  bargain  was  a  good  one  for  the  Frenchmen,  and 
the  Caribs  soon  found  it  out.  When  they  discovered  how 
they  had  been  cheated  they  did  the  usual  thing,  and  promptly 
went  on  the  warpath.  By  this  time,  however,  the  island 
was  pretty  well  filled  with  Frenchmen,  and,  being  well  armed, 
they  drove  the  Caribs  before  them  to  the  verge  of  a  high 
precipice  on  the  Caribbean  shore.  Good  old  Pere  Labat,  a 
French  Jesuit,  who  "did"  the  West  Indies  some  two  hun- 
dred years  ago,  describes  the  fatal  conflict  that  then  followed 
and  made  an  end  of  the  Indians.  "The  simple  savages,  being 
hard  pressed,  retired  to  the  summit  of  a  small  promontory, 
which  was  surrounded  by  frightful  precipices  and  accessible 
only  by  a  narrow  path,  the  opening  to  which  they  were  careful 
to  conceal.  The  French,  however,  succeeded  in  discovering 
the  secret  passage  and  broke  in  upon  them  by  surprise.  The 
savages  fought  desperately,  but  were  entirely  defeated,  and 
most  of  them  massacred.  The  rest  were  driven  to  the  verge 
of  the  precipice,  where  they  made  a  last  stand,  but  finding 
themselves  outnumbered  and  overpowered,  they  threw  them- 
selves headlong  from  the  cliff,  at  the  base  of  which  they 
were  dashed  to  pieces.  This  clifY  is  now  known  as  Le  Monie 
dcs  Sautciirs,  or  Lcapcrs'  Hill." 

The  French  outdid  the  savages  in  fiendish  atrocities,  and 
another  historian  mentions  the  taking  prisoner  of  a  Carib  girl 
about  twelve  years  old  by  two  French  officers,  who  quarrelled 
over  their  respective  rights  in  the  captive,  until  a  third  officer 
ended  the  dispute  by  shooting  her  in  the  head.  Thus  the 
island  was  depopulated  of  its  original  inhabitants,  and  when 
they  were  gone  the  French  fell  to  fighting  among  themselves. 
Then  the  English  came  down  upon  them,  about  the  middle 


438  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST   INDIES 

of  the  eighteenth  century,  and  the  island  changed  hands  sev- 
eral times,  until  finally  secured  to  Great  Britain  by  treaty  in 
1783.  It  has  remained  in  her  possession  ever  since;  but,  like 
Dominica  and  St.  Lucia,  the  speech  of  the  people  is  mainly 
French,   as  well  as  their  costumes  and  habitudes. 

Cacao,  Grenada's  Chief  Crop.  There  is  no  island  where 
a  study  can  be  made  of  cacao,  the  "chocolate  tree,"  so  thor- 
oughly and  readily  as  in  Grenada.  As  the  writer  declared 
in  his  first  visit  to  the  island,  the  tree,  with  its  nutri- 
tious fruit,  is  a  more  bountiful  producer  than  the  pro- 
lific cocoa-palm,  with  which,  from  its  similarity  of  name, 
it  is  sometimes  confounded.  Unlike  the  towering  coco, 
or  cocoa,  however,  with  its  smooth  shaft  crowned  with 
waving  leaves — a  notable  object  in  the  field  and  forest — 
the  cacao  seldom  reaches  a  greater  height  than  30  feet, 
and  might  be  passed  by  without  notice  were  it  not 
for  its  peculiar  fruit.  It  flourishes  best  in  damp  and  shady 
valleys,  and  embosomed  among  the  mountain  forest  trees. 
So  necessary  is  shade  to  its  successful  growth  that  the  young 
plants  are  always  protected  by  some  other  tree,  notably  the 
madre  de  cacao,  or  hois  immortelle,  sometimes  by  bananas 
and  plantains,  until  it  has  attained  its  growth.  The  tops  of 
the  trees  are  generally  interwoven,  forming  a  dense  and 
grateful  shade,  beneath  which,  among  the  smooth  stems,  one 
may  walk  in  comfort  even  at  hot  noonday. 

The  tree  attains  maturity  in  seven  or  eight  years,  but  may 
bear  at  three.  Its  fruit  somewhat  resembles  an  over-ripe 
cucumber,  about  6  inches  in  length,  and  is  beautifully  col- 
oured— yellow,  crimson,  and  purple,  depending  upon  its  prog- 
ress toward  maturity.  Each  pod  is  divided  into  cells  con- 
taining a  sweet  pulp,  in  which  are  enveloped  some  twenty 
or  thirty  seeds,  from  which  chocolate  is  produced.  When 
the  fruit  is  mature  these  seeds  are  gathered  and  dried.  Great 
care  is  necessary,  as  they  quickly  deteriorate,  and  the  planters 
generally  provide  platforms  on  wheels,  upon  which  the  seeds 
are  spread  in  the  sun,  and  run  beneath  a  shelter  on  signs  of 
rain.  The  cacao  bestows  upon  its  cultivators  a  certain  in- 
come with  little  toil,  so  it  is  a  favourite  with  the  negroes, 
who,  once  started  in  life  with  a  small  plantation,  ask  for 
nothing  more.     They  have   enemies,  however,    in  the  wild 


Cacao  Tree  and  Fruit,  Grenada 


GRENADA  AND  THE  GRENADINES  439 

monkeys,  the  cacao  rats,  and  a  species  of  beetle,  all  which 
sometimes  combine  to  rob  the  poor  cultivator  of  the  fruits 
of  his  labours. 

Steam  Communication.  New  York  to  Grenada  direct,  the 
Trinidad  Line  of  steamers,  every  ten  days  in  winter.  Fare: 
Single,  $50 ;  return,  $92.50. 

The  Quebec  Line,  via  Barbados,  every  two  weeks.  The 
excursions  of  this  line  during  the  winter  season  are  favourite 
means  of  seeing  the  islands,  affording  as  they  do  ample  time 
in  each  port  for  doing  so.  Fares :  Same  as  to  Barbados  and 
return. 

The  Royal  Mail,  via  Barbados.     (See  previous  schedules.) 

Halifax,  via  Bermuda,  the  Pickford  and  Black  steamers, 
every  two  weeks,  to  Trinidad,  calling  at  Grenada. 

Southampton,  England,  Royal  Mail. 

Hotels.  There  is  but  one  good  hotel  in  the  island,  travellers 
aver,  and  this  is  th&Home  Hotel,  well  situated  in  St.  George's. 
The  service  is  excellent  and  the  charges  low,  only  $2  per  day, 
$45  per  month.     Proprietor  and  manager,  A.  E.  Steele. 


TOBAGO 

Situation  and  Physical  Features.  Twenty  miles  northeast 
of  Trinidad,  and  right  in  line  with  Barbados,  following  the 
curve  of  the  Caribbees,  lies  the  picturesque  and  historically 
interesting  island  of  Tobago.  Like  the  island  of  Trinidad, 
it  is  physically  a  slice  from  the  South  American  continent, 
and  perhaps  marks  the  northeasternmost  projection  of  that 
continent  into  the  Atlantic  and  the  Caribbean  Sea.  It  is 
26  miles  in  length  and  7^  in  breadth  at  its  broadest,  and 
contains  114  square  miles,  or  about  73,000  acres  of  fertile 
soil,  of  which  about  53,000  are  held  as  private  properties  in 
estates  and  gardens,  6,400  are  set  apart  (and  very  wisely)  as 
a  "rain  and  forest  reserve,"  and  the  remainder,  some  13,600 
acres,  is  so-called  Crown  land,  which  is  available  for  settle- 
ment and  plantations.* 
The  island  is  of  volcanic  formation.  The  southern  portion 
is  quite  level,  the  central  undulating,  with  conical  hills  and 
charming  little  valleys  scooped  out  in  a  singularly  picturesque 
manner.  The  northern  portion  consists  of  hill  ranges  running 
down  the  centre,  with  long,  deep  valleys  dividing  them,  and 
from  each  other  by  spurs  branching  off  from  the  main  ridge. 
These  valleys,  without  exception,  are  extremely  fertile  and 
well  watered,  each  valley  having  its  own  stream,  rapid  run- 
ning and  overhung  with  tropical  vegetation.  The  highest 
point  in  the  island,  Pigeon  Hill,  is  only  1.900  feet,  and  yet 
Tobago  seems  more  mountainous  than  hilly,  while  the  north- 
ern portion  seems  to  consist  of  one  continuous  forest.  The 
shores  are  broken  by  beautiful  bays,  with  sandy  beaches 
shaded  by  cocoa-palms  and  each  beach  with  its  tropical 
stream.  These  streams  are  not  navigable,  except  for  small 
boats ;  but  the  indentations  along  the  coast  were  in  olden 
times  the  resorts  of  war  fleets  and  piratical  craft  lying  in  wait 
for  Spanish  treasure-ships. 

♦Although  the  author  has  visited  Tobago  and  examined  its  forests, 
streams,  plantations,  etc.,  he  mainlv  follows,  in  this  description,  the 
Notes  on  Tobago,  issued  by  the  (British)  Imperial  Department  of 
Agriculture  ;  to  which  the  reader  is  referred  for  information  respect- 
ing its  value  to  prospective  settlers. 


TOBAGO  44T 

"In  traversing  the  country,"  wrote  Sir  W.  Young  in  the 
latter  part  of  the  eighteenth  century,  "I  was  much  struck 
with  its  beauty,  from  the  flat  at  Sandy  Point  (the  southern 
end  of  the  island),  quietly  breaking  into  hills,  till  ultimately, 
at  the  northeast,  it  became  a  scene  of  woods  and  mountains. 
From  the  very  point  of  the  town  (Scarborough)  the  country 
became  hilly,  and  as  one  farther  advances  the  hills  rise  into 
mountains,  not  broken  and  rugged,  as  in  the  volcanic  country 
of  St.  Vincent,  but  regular,  though  steep.  The  scene  of 
nature  is  on  an  extensive  scale,  and  gives  the  idea  of  a  con- 
tinent rather  than  an  island.  It  is  not  alone  the  vicinity  of 
the  Spanish  Main  that  suggests  this  idea ;  but  the  appearance 
of  the  island  fully  warrants  the  assumption,  and  the  con- 
tiguity of  South  America  only  the  more  fully  marks  its  hav- 
ing been  torn  from  there,  and  of  its  having  been,  in  times 
long  past,  the  southern  point  or  promontory  of  the  vast  Bay 
or  Gulf  of  Mexico." 

Herein  we  find  the  substance  of  Humboldt's  and  Kingsley's 
statements,  before  either  of  them  ever  looked  upon  the  West 
Indies.  Tobago  lies  in  latitude  north  ii°  to  ii°  20'  and  in 
longitude  west  60°  30'  to  60'  50'.  It  expands  nearly  northeast 
and  southwest.  With  the  exception  of  some  7  miles  of 
level  land  in  the  southwest,  now  partly  covered  with  wood, 
it  shows  generally  a  surface  broken  and  rumpled  with  alter- 
nate stretches  of  steep  hills  and  deep  and  narrow  ravines, 
shooting  direct  or  w'inding  from  the  main  or  dorsal  ridge, 
and  from  these  branches,  as  though  torn  off,  stand  occasion- 
ally aloof  beautiful  mounds  of  isolated  hills.  A  belt  of 
cultivation  extends  half  way  around  its  southern,  eastern, 
and  western  shores.* 

Resources  and  Settlements.  Tobago's  fertile  soil  is  capable 
of  producing  every  kind  of  fruit  and  vegetable  peculiar  to  the 
tropics,  and  since  sugar  is  no  longer  profitable  and  labour 
difficult  to  obtain,  the  people  here  have  gone  extensively  into 
the  cultivation  of  cacao,  rubber,  and  cattle  raising.  There 
is  perhaps  no  more  favoured  island  than  this  for  acquiring 
a  competency  in  some  one  of  these  industries — always  pro- 
vided one  can  endure  the  i.solation,  has  sufficient  capital,  and 

*  From  Crusoe's  Island,  a  Bird- Hunter'' s  Story,  by  Frederick  A.  Ober; 
New  York:  D.  Appleton  &  Co.,  1901. 


442  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST   INDIES 

can  afford  to  wait  from  five  to  ten  years  for  adequate  re- 
turns. The  total  population  is  only  20,000,  of  which  number, 
however,  less  than  2,000  are  white  people,  the  major  portion 
being  natives  of  negro  descent.  Thus  society  is  meagre,  and 
the  settler  is  thrown  upon  his  own  resources  or  obliged  to 
hie  himself  to  Trinidad,  20  miles  away,  for  recreation  of  the 
higher  sort. 

The  capital  and  only  town  worthy  the  name  is  Scarborough, 
on  the  south  side  of  the  island,  situated  at  the  base  of  a 
hill  450  feet  in  height,  upon  which  are  the  ruins  of  Fort 
King  George,  which  commands  a  splendid  view  of  the  har- 
bour and  the  surrounding  sea.  It  contains  about  2,500  inhab- 
itants, mostly  black  or  coloured,  and  its  houses  are  scarcely 
worth  mention.  The  government  buildings,  however,  are 
massive  structures,  and  the  town  boasts  a  church  or  two 
and  several  boarding-houses.  There  are  also  well-stocked 
stores,  including  dry  goods,  drugs,  and  groceries,  at  the  low 
prices  usually  prevailing  in  the  West  Indies ;  but  there  are 
no  banking  facilities,  though  British  coin  and  notes  of  the 
Colonial  Bank  (at  Trinidad  and  elsewhere)  are  current 
exchange. 

The  laws  of  Tobago  are  the  same  as  those  of  Trinidad, 
since  the  two  islands  form  one  colony  for  governmental  pur- 
poses. The  natives  are  quiet  and  law-abiding,  crime  being 
almost  unknown,  and  drunkenness  not  common ;  though  there 
are  five  or  six  "rum  shops"  in  Scarborough  alone,  and  several 
in  the  country  districts.  Taxes  are  low,  living  is  remark- 
ably cheap,  but  luxuries,  except  by  private  importation,  not 
abundant.  For  example,  eggs  sell  at  i  cent  each,  milk  is 
4  cents  per  quart ;  fowls  are  8  to  12  cents  per  pound  ;  beef  (but 
very  poor  in  quality)  is  12  cents;  and  mutton  (likewise  poor), 
18  cents  a  pound.  Servants'  wages  are  low,  but  the  service 
is  poor,  though  the  blacks  are  faithful  and  generally  honest. 
Housemaids,  butlers,  and  grooms  receive  about  £1  sterling  per 
m.onth,  while  the  lower  grades  are  content  with  half  that  sum. 

There  is  another  town,  Plymouth,  on  the  north  side  of  the 
island,  about  5  miles  from  the  capital,  with  a  straggling  pop- 
ulation of  about  1,200,  and  two  or  three  villages,  as  Rox- 
horough  in  the  "windward"  district  and  Charlotteville  in  the 
northern.     Internal  communication  is  kept  up  by  means  of 


TOBAGO  443 

highways,  which  were  originally  constructed  by  the  French, 
and  are  good  as  far  as  they  go,  but  do  not  go  very  far  in 
the  rainy  season.'  In  the  dry  season  one  may  drive  for 
20  miles  or  so  along  the  windward  coast,  and  within  a 
radrus  of  5  miles  from  Scarborough  at  all  times.  There  are 
few  bridges,  however,  and  most  of  the  rivers  must  be  forded, 
which  is  a  matter  of  small  moment,  except  when  they  are  in 
flood.  There  is  an  abundance  of  good  road  material,  and 
improvements  are  being  carried  on  which  will  perhaps  carry 
a  highway  completely  around  the  island;  but  at  present  the 
traveller  between  Peter's  Bay,  on  the  west  coast,  and  King's 
Bay,  on  the  east,  must  take  to  the  saddle  if  he  would  com- 
plete the  northern  circuit.  Horses  are  to  be  had,  both  for 
sale  and  for  hire,  at  very  low  prices,  and  guides  are  numerous 
at  a  shilling  or  two  a  day,  so  it  would  be  well  worth  one's 
while  to  take  that  little  journey. 

Primeval  Forest  and  Game.  There  has  been  a  steady 
decrease  in  the  number  of  old-time  white  planters  in  Tobago, 
but  the  writer  recalls  with  pleasure  the  lavish  hospitality  of 
those  with  whom  he  came  in  contact  years  ago.  Every  hand 
was  extended  to  help  the  visitor  along,  and  every  estate  con- 
tributed of  its  horses  and  retainers  when  a  journey  was  in 
contemplation.  And,  as  generous  impulses  are  contagious 
as  well  as  inherited,  there  should  be  no  dearth  of  hospitality 
at  the  present  time,  though  the  population  may  have  changed. 
One  should,  by  all  means,  if  so  inclined,  pay  a  visit  to  the 
plantations  of  the  windward  slope,  and  from  some  one  of 
them  penetrate  the  tropical  woods  of  the  Forest  Reserve.  A 
license  to  hunt  costs  only  5  shillings  per  gun.  and  up  in  the 
hills  there  are  to  be  found  the  fiercest  of  peccaries,  or  little 
"wild  hogs";  the  gamest  of  wild  pheasants,  known  locally  as 
"cockericos"  ;  the  armadillo,  aguti,  opossum,  and  a  host  of 
beautiful  birds  like  the  trogon,  humming-bird,  blue  creeper, 
crested  cacique,  and  tropical  kingfisher — in  all  nearly 
150  varieties.  But  there  is  (or  at  least  there  ought  to  be)  a 
law  against  shooting  the  small,  insectivorous  birds,  which  are 
the  glory  and  beauty  of  those  forests,  and  one  should  confine 
his  "gunning"  solely  to  the  procuring  of  game  for  supply  of 
camp.  A  faithful  negro  may  be  obtained  in  Scarborough, 
who  will  act  as  camp-builder,  forester,  and  guide,  and  in  the 


444  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST   INDIES 

dry  (or  winter)  season  it  is  perfectly  safe  to  camp  out  in 
the  woods.  There  are  no  poisonous  insects  or  reptiles,  except 
a  few  scorpions,  tarantulas,  and  centipedes,  which  are  not 
numerous  or  dangerous.  Thus  in  Tobago  one  may  view  the 
tropical  forest  as  it  exists  on  the  near  continent  without 
running  the  risks  he  would  there  in  obtaining  it.  He  should 
visit  the  beautiful  Man-of-War  Bay,  at  the  extreme  tip  of 
the  island,  north,  with  its  adjacent  forests  of  cogwood,  which 
in  spring  are  masses  of  beautiful  bloom,  and  with  its  creek 
that  once  was  the  lair  of  pirates,  in  the  "good  old  times.*' 
The  battles  waged  between  the  fighters  of  those  times  are 
perpetuated  by  Man-of-War,  Englishman's,  and  Bloody  Bays, 
and  the  ruins  of  old  forts  are  to  be  found  on  almost  every 
commanding  promontory. 

Means  of  Communication.  The  best  months  in  which  to 
visit  Tobago  (as  also  Trinidad  and  the  other  islands  of  the 
Southern  West  Indies)  are  January,  February,  and  March. 
In  the  last-named  month,  and  in  April,  one  will  obtain  a 
delicious  taste  of  spring  in  the  vernal  efflorescence,  abun- 
dance of  song-birds,  and  the  outpourings  of  their  liquid 
melodies.  The  time  from  New  York  is  about  ten  days  for  the 
voyage,  and  from  London  fourteen  days.  There  is  no  direct 
communication  with  the  outside  world,  though  now  and 
then  a  steamer  touches  here ;  but  the  Royal  Mail  Line  has 
a  subsidiary  service  once  a  week  between  Port-of-Spain, 
Trinidad,  and  Scarborough,  with  first-class  return  ticket  at 
$7,  including  meals.  The  time  between  ports  is  eight  hours. 
"The  passenger  accommodation  is  not  very  commodious,  nor 
is  travelling  by  the  coasting  steamer  an  unmixed  delight," 
but  still  it  is  endurable,  and  promises  to  be  better  in  the 
future.  This  line  also  has  a  coastal  service  around  Tobago, 
touching  at  every  port.  Fare,  first-class,  $2.40;  second,  $1.60, 
without  meals;  but  these,  as  also  wines  and  other  liquors, 
may  be  obtained  on  board.  No  one  should  fail  to  take  this 
round-the-island  voyage  if  it  can  be  managed  without 
discomfort,  as  thereby  all  the  historic  bays  and  head- 
lands, the  beautiful  beaches  and  inland  forests  may  be 
viewed. 

Hotels  and  Boarding-houses.  Taking  the  pampered  tour- 
ist's point  of  view,  there  are  no  first-class  hotels  in  Tobago; 


TOBAGO  445 

but  the  "Lodge"  and  the  "Fairfield"  furnish  good  food  and 
cleanly  accommodations  at  $2  per  day  to  a  limited  number, 
with  sea  bathing  near  the  latter;  and  there  is  a  small  but 
select  social  club  in  town,  "where  the  visitor  with  due  intro- 
duction will  always  find  a  welcome." 

Books  on  Tobago.  A  History  of  Tobago,  by  Chief  Justice 
Woodcock,  1867.  Published  by  subscription,  and  probably 
out  of  print. 

Handbook  of  Tobago,  by  former  Commissioner  Hay,  1899. 

Planting  in  Tobago,  and  Hints  to  Settlers,  by  the  Imperial 
Department  of  Agriculture,  published  by  the  Commissioner, 
at  Barbados,  West  Indies ;  price  6d. 

Crusoe's  Island,  a  Bird-Hunter's  Story,  by  Frederick  A. 
Ober  (author  of  this  Guide).  Probably  the  only  book  giving 
a  hunter's  experience  in  the  forests  of  Tobago  and  the  bird 
life  there.  In  the  form  of  an  adventure  story,  with  citations 
from  Crusoe. 

The  Present  Prospect  of  the  Famous  and  Fertile  Island  of 
Tobago,  by  Captain  John  Poyntz.  Published  in  1683,  re- 
printed in  1901,  by  Mr.  Archibald,  once  a  resident  in  the 
island.  The  author  of.  this  ancient  volume  was  himself  a 
one-time  dweller  in  the  island,  of  which  he  says  in  his 
Preface:  ".  .  .  And  I  am  persuaded  there  is  no  island  in 
America  that  can  afford  us  more  ample  subjects  to  contem- 
plate the  bounty  and  goodness  of  our  great  Creator  in  than 
this  of  Tobago;  and  this  I  speak  not  by  hearsay,  or  as  one 
that  has  always  liv'd  at  home,  but  as  one  that  has  had 
experience  of  the  world,  and  been  in  the  greatest  part  of  the 
Caribbee  Islands,  and  in  almost  all  his  Majestie's  foreign 
plantations;  and  having  view'd  them  all,  have  chosen  this 
island  of  Tobago  to  take  up  my  quietus  est  in." 

Its  Fascinating  History.  Tobago  was  discovered  by  Chris- 
topher Columbus  on  his  third  voyage,  in  1498,  and  named  by 
him  from  its  resemblance  to  a  tobacco  pipe  (it  is  said),  which 
in  the  aboriginal  language  was  Tabaco.  No  settlement  was 
made  there,  however,  until  about  1625.  when  some  English 
attempted  one,  though  repulsed  by  the  Indians  there  resident. 
In  1632,  200  Dutchmen  planted  a  colony,  which  was  soon 
after  extirpated  by  the  Spaniards  of  Trinidad,  who  incited 
the  Caribs  to  kill  them.     In  1642  the  Duke  of  Courland,  a 


446  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST  INDIES 

small  state  on  the  Baltic,  landed  colonists  on  the  north  shore, 
at  what  is  now  known  as  Courland  Bay;  but  in  1658  they 
were  driven  off  by  the  Dutch,  who  in  turn  were  taken  by 
the  French.  English  adventurers  next  established  a  garrison 
there,  in  1666;  but  they  were  captured  by  French  from 
Grenada,  who  a  year  later  abandoned  the  island,  which 
was  thus  left  without  a  single  white  inhabitant.  In  1673  the 
English  again  wrested  the  island  from  the  Dutch,  who  had 
made  another  attempt.  Four  years  later,  these  settlers  having 
retired,  the  Dutch,  who  had  returned,  were  set  upon  by 
Sir  Tobias  Bridges,  who  took  400  prisoners,  besides  many 
negro  slaves.  Sir  Tobias  sailed  away,  but  the  remnants  of 
the  Dutch  settlers,  having  received  reinforcements,  were 
attacked  by  a  French  fleet  under  Count  d'Estrees,  who 
stormed  their  castle  and  engaged  their  ships.  Both  land 
and  sea  forces  were  repulsed,  with  a  loss  of  350  killed  and 
wounded,  the  flagship  of  70  guns  blown  up  and  two  war 
vessels  stranded. 
The  victorious  Dutch  were  again  attacked  a  few  months 
later  by  the  French  fleet,  increased  to  twenty  sail,  with 
1,500  men.  and,  a  fire-ball  having  been  sent  into  the  castle, 
blowing  up  the  magazine  and  killing  all  the  officers,  the 
works  were  stormed  and  taken.  After  destroying  everything 
they  could  destroy,  "the  victors  abandoned  the  prize  for 
which  they  had  so  eagerly  contended,  and  Tobago  was  once 
more  consigned  to  that  solitude  in  which  it  was  first  dis- 
covered." In  1679  the  island  was  restored  to  the  Dutch 
by  treaty,  but  five  years  later  was  declared  a  "neutral  island,"' 
to  be  visited  by  the  European  fleets  only  for  wood  and  water, 
and  left  entirely  in  the  possession  of  its  aboriginal  inhab- 
itants. Sixty  years  later  the  French  attempted  a  colony  there, 
which  was  broken  up  by  the  English  in  1762,  who  were  con- 
firmed in  their  possession  by  treaty  in  1763.  "Thus,"  says 
the  historian,  "the  foundation  was  laid  of  the  first  permanent 
colony  that,  through  a  train  of  disastrous  circumstances,  had 
ever  been  permitted  to  flourish  within  Tobago's  shores."  Of 
the  several  towns  built  here  at  various  times  nothing  at  all 
remains  save  a  stone  here  and  there ;  but  there  are  traces 
of  an  old  military  road  in  the  interior  and  antique  cannon 
lying  in  the  woods  near  Bloody  Bay. 


TOBAGO  447 

Tobago  was  again  invaded  by  the  French  in  1781,  who 
landed  at  Plymouth,  on  Great  Courland  Bay,  but  were  driven 
to  the  woods.  In  1793  the  island  was  wholly  English  again, 
but  was  ceded  to  the  French  in  1802,  and  had  a  voice  in 
the  election  of  Napoleon  Bonaparte  as  First  Consul.  That 
same  year,  also,  it  became  the  residence  of  the  famous  Ameri- 
can privateer,  John  Paul  Jones,  whose  tarry  here  was  a 
most  interesting  episode  in  that  wanderer's  adventurous 
career.  Taken  by  the  English  in  1803,  the  island  was  finally 
ceded  to  them  in  1814,  and  has  since  remained  in  their 
possession. 

Tobago  as  the  True  Crusoe's  Island.  If  the  reader  does 
not  find  Tobago's  history  fascinating,  as  epitomised  above, 
perhaps  he  may  be  interested  in  the  statement  that  the  island 
has  been  identified  with  one  of  the  world's  most  famous 
heroes — namely,  "Robinson  Crusoe,  Mariner,"  immortalised 
by  Mr.  Daniel  Defoe  in  the  romance  which  he  published  in 
the  year  1719.  It  may  come  as  a  shock  to  the  readers  and 
admirers  of  Robinson  Crusoe  to  learn  that  the  island  on 
which  he  had  his  (perhaps  fictitious)  adventures  lies,  not  in 
the  Pacific,  but  between  the  Atlantic  Ocean  and  the  Carib- 
bean Sea.  Yet  if  one  will  read  the  story  attentively,  or  at 
least  the  opening  chapters,  he  cannot  but  become  convinced 
that  such  is  really  the  case. 

Tobago  is  the  real  island  of  Robinson  Crusoe's  adventures, 
and  the  following  paragraphs  are  submitted  in  proof  of  it. 
All  readers  of  Crusoe  (and  "their  name  is  legion")  will  re- 
call that  his  perilous  career  began  after  he  had  run  away  to 
sea,  was  shipwrecked,  captured  by  the  Moors,  with  whom 
he  lived  two  years  or  so.  from  whom  he  escaped,  and  finally 
arrived  on  the  coast  of  Brazil.  Here  he  settled  down  as 
planter,  and  about  four  years  after,  finding  himself  in  need 
of  slaves,  set  out  for  the  coast  of  Africa  in  quest  of  them. 
It  is  with  this  voyage  that  the  adventures  begin  which  have 
held  the  attention  of  hosts  of  young  readers  through  several 
generations.  Remember  that  he  set  sail  from  Brazil,  on  the 
east  coast  of  South  America ;  that  he  had  not  been  out  long 
when  a  storm  came  up  and  drove  his  vessel  far  out  of  its 
course. 

Crusoe  Himself  Describes  Tobago.    Here  is  the  narrative, 


448  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST  INDIES 

b}^  Crusoe  himself :  "The  master  [of  the  ship]  made  an  Obser- 
vation, as  well  as  he  could,  and  found  that  he  was  in  about 
eleven  Degrees  of  North  Latitude,  so  that  we  were  gotten  be- 
yond the  coast  of  Guiana,  and  beyond  the  River  Amazones, 
toward  the  great  River  Oroonoque  [Oronoco]  ...  So  we 
chang'd  our  Course,  and  steer'd  away  northwest  by  west,  in 
order  to  reach  some  of  the  English  Islands;  but  a  second 
Storm  came  upon  us  and  drove  us  so  out  of  the  way  of  all 
humane  Commerce  that,  had  all  our  lives  been  sav'd  as  to 
the  Sea,  we  were  rather  in  danger  of  being  devour'd  by  the 
Salvages,  than  of  ever  returning  to  our  own  Country.  In 
this  distress,  one  of  our  Men,  early  in  the  iMorning,  cry'd  out 
'Land'  and  we  had  no  sooner  ran  out  of  the  Cabbin  to  look, 
in  the  hopes  of  seeing  whereabouts  in  the  World  we  were,  but 
the  Ship  struck  upon  a  Rock,  and  in  a  Moment,  being  stopp'd, 
the  Sea  broke  over  her  in  such  a  Manner  that  we  expected 
we  should  all  have  perish'd  immediately." 

In  point  of  fact  (or  fiction  rather)  they  all  did  perish, 
and  none  was  saved  but  Crusoe,  who  swam  ashore,  and 
landed  safely  on  the  island  which  was  to  be  the  scene  of  his 
subsequent  adventures  for  twenty-eight  years.  That  it  was 
a  beach  in  Tobago  on  which  Crusoe  landed  that  morning  in 
1659  is  susceptible  not  only  of  constructive,  but  positive, 
proof.  First  he  sets  sail  on  the  voyage  from  a  port  on  the 
east  coast  of  South  America,  and  sails  northwardly  until  oflf 
the  coast  of  Guiana  southeasterly  from  Trinidad  and  To- 
bago ;  again,  the  last  observation  showed  him  to  be  in  about 
11°  of  north  latitude  (which  is  that  of  Tobago),  an  island 
which  was  being  exploited  in  London  by  numerous  "adven- 
turers" for  colonisation  purposes  about  the  time  that  Defoe 
wrote  his  story.  Still  again,  and  now  in  the  words  of  Crusoe, 
the  swift  currents  that  sweep  among  those  islands  of  the 
Southern  Caribbees  are  faithfully  described ;  also  the  Carib 
Indians,  who  then  inhabited  there;  and  finally,  the  island 
of  Trinidad  is  mentioned  by  name  as  in  sight  from  the  south 
hills  of  Tobago — as  any  one  may  verify  to-day. 

After  he  had  been  on  the  island  some  time,  and  had  discov- 
ered his  "Alan  Friday"  (who  was  a  Carib,  by  the  way),  he 
and  his  servant  took  a  little  journey.  .  .  .  "When  I  pass'd 
the  Vale  where  my  Bower  stood,  I  came  within  view  of  the 


TOBAGO  449 

Sea,  and,  it  being  a  clear  Day,  I  Fairly  descried  Land — 
whether  an  Island  or  a  Continent,  I  could  not  tell;  but  it 
lay  very  high,  and  at  a  great  distance.  ...  I  ask'd  him 
(Friday)  how  far  it  was  from  our  Island  to  the  Shore,  and 
whether  Canoes  were  not  often  lost.  And  he  told  me  there 
was  no  Danger — no  Canoes  ever  lost ;  but  that  a  little  Way 
out  to  sea  there  was  a  Wind  and  a  Current,  always  one 
way  in  the  Morning,  and  another  in  the  Afternoon.  This 
I  understood  to  be  no  more  than  the  sets  of  the  Tyde,  as 
going  out  and  coming  in ;  but  I  afterwards  understood  it  to 
be  occasion'd  by  the  great  Draught  and  Reflux  of  the  mighty 
River  Oroonoque,  in  the  Mouth  or  Gulph  of  which  our  Island 
lay.  And  the  Land  which  I  percejv'd  was  the  great  Island 
of  Trinidad,  on  the  north  Point  of  the  Mouth  of  the  River." 

Thus  it  has  been  shown  beyond  a  doubt  that  the  island 
which  Defoe  had  in  mind  when  he  wrecked  his  hero  on  its 
shores  was  none  other  than  Tobago,  off  the  northeast  coast 
of  South  America.  But  the  man  whose  narrative  of  adventure 
Defoe  appropriated,  Alexander  Selkirk,  really  lived  for  four 
years  on  the  island  of  Juan  Fernandez,  off  the  southwest  coast 
of  South  America.  Herein  the  confusion  lies — of  having 
"mixed  up"  the  real  hero,  Selkirk,  with  the  spurious  but 
•better  known  "Robinson  Crusoe,"  whose  name  has  been  a 
household  word  for  nearly  two  centuries.  In  further  proof 
that  Tobago,  was  the  scene  of  the  redoubtable  Robinson 
Crusoe's  adventures,  the  natives  show  a  cave — the  veritable 
cave  in  which  he  found  the  dying  goat — and  the  alleged 
imprints  of  "Man  Friday's"  feet  on  the  sands ! 

What  Will  Be  Found  in  Tobago.  Tobago  in  itself  is 
interesting  enough  to  draw  the  tourist  thither,  even  without 
this  factitious  adventure  story.  Its  climate  is.  delightful,  a 
"perpetual  summer"  reigning  in  that  favoured  island,  for 
the  mean  temperature  is  about  80°  ;  but  owing  to  the  extensive 
seaboard  the  heat  is  always  tempered  by  cool  sea  breezes. 
There  is  a  "wet  season,"  however,  lasting  from  July  to 
October,  when  the  heat  is  sometimes  oppressive.  The  annual 
rainfall  varies,  and  while  in  the  southern  portion  it  does 
not  exceed  60  inches,  in  the  central  and  "windward"  (east- 
ern) districts  it  sometimes  reaches  100  inches,  owing  to  the 
forest-covered  hills,   which   precipitate  the  moisture   in  the 


450  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST  INDIES 

ever-blowing  "trade  winds."  The  island  is  outside  the 
"hurricane  zone,"  and  tropical  cyclones  rarely  occur.  There 
are  no  swamps,  and  malaria  should  not  trouble  one ;  though, 
truth  to  tell,  there  is  a  variety  of  intermittent  fever,  which 
one  should  be  very  careful  not  to  contract,  as  it  is  of  the 
veritable  "bone-breaking"  kind,  but  amenable  to  treatment 
and  very  rarely  fatal.  As  in  all  these  islands,  one  should  be 
careful  to  avoid  a  chill.  Flannels  should  be  worn  next  the 
skin,  and  if  the  clothes  get  wet,  they  should  be  changed  as 
soon  as  possible. 


TRINIDAD 

Climate,  Scenery,  Natural  Resources.  The  climate  of 
Trinidad  is  tropical,  situated  as  the  island  is  within  ten  de- 
grees of  the  equinoctial  line ;  but,  except  for  local  causes, 
it  is  remarkably  salubrious.  While  the  natural  heat  is 
great,  the  insular  situation — a  hilly,  forest-clad  region  swept 
by  ocean  breezes — greatly  modifies  the  climatic  conditions. 
The  mean  temperature  of  the  cool  (or  northern  winter)  season 
is  about  76°  and  that  of  the  hot  about  80°,  with  some 
10°  decrease  at  night.  It  is  a  healthful,  restful,  highly  enjoy- 
able climate — always  provided  that  precautions  are  observed 
against  prolonged  exposure  to  the  direct  rays  of  the  sun,  or 
the  miasmatic  effluence  of  the  lowland  districts,  where 
great  swamps  abound.  The  relative  humidity  is  great,  the 
downpours  of  the  "rainy  season"  are  tremendous,  and  now 
and  again,  though  very  rarely  indeed,  a  tropical  cyclone  stirs 
the  humid  atmosphere.  From  the  hurricane,  however,  which 
periodically  devastates  some  of  the  northern  islands,  Trinidad 
is  peculiarly  exempt,  if  we  may  trust  statistics. 
Twilight  is  usually  brief,  as  the  transitions  of  the  seasons 
are  also  less  abrupt  than  in  the  north ;  but  any  one  who 
enjoys  nature  would  be  delighted  with  the  sunrises  and 
sunsets  of  Trinidad.  A  typical  sunrise,  succeeding  to  a 
delicious,  balmy  night,  is  thus  described  by  one  who  has 
experienced  both :  "A  little  before  five  o'clock  the  first  glim- 
mer of  light  becomes  perceptible,  slowly  becoming  stronger, 
and  then  increasing  so  rapidly  that  in  about  an  hour  it  seems 
full  daylight.  For  a  short  time  this  changes  very  little  in 
character,  when  suddenly  the  sun's  rim  appears  above  the 
horizon,  decking  the  dew-laden  foliage  with  glittering  gems, 
sending  gleams  of  golden  light  far  into  the  woods,  and 
waking  up  all  nature  into  life  and  activity.  The  early  morn- 
ing here  possesses  a  charm  and  a  beauty  that  can  never  be 
forgotten ;  all  nature  seems  refreshed  and  strengthened  by 
the  coolness  and  moisture  of  the  preceding  night.  The  tem- 
perature is  the  most  delicious  conceivable.     The  slight  chill 


452  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST   INDIES 

of  early  dawn,  which  was  itself  agreeable,  is  succeeded  by 
an  invigorating  warmth.  The  intense  sunshine  lights  up  the 
glorious  vegetation  of  the  tropics  and  realises  all  that  the 
magic  art  of  the  painter  or  the  glowing  words  of  the  poet 
have  pictured  as  their  ideals  of  terrestrial  beauty." 

Trinidad  has  been  called  a  mountainous  island,  but  it  is, 
with  the  exception  of  a  few  peaks,  more  hilly  than  moun- 
tainous. It  is  sufficiently  so,  however,  to  present,  with  its 
hills  and  valleys  clothed  in  most  luxuriant  forests,  the  acme 
of  the  picturesque.  Seas  of  wavy,  verdant  woodland  stretch 
away  from  coast  to  hilltop,  shining  in  an  ever-brilliant  sun- 
light, glooming  deeply  in  the  valleys,  through  which  meander 
sparkling  streams  of  crystal  clearness.  In  the  summer  season 
this  sylvan  carpet  is  bestrewn  with  glorious  flowers,  flame- 
coloured  and  golden,  crimson  and  yellow,  which  gives  the 
Trinidadian  forest  an  unreal,  vivid  beauty  that  is  most  en- 
trancing. The  natural  features  of  Trinidad,  then,  are  forest- 
covered  hills  ablaze  with  colour,  cool  vales  in  which  run 
rippling  rivulets,  now  and  then  expanding  into  streams  that 
dash  over  great  cliffs  as  cascades  and  waterfalls ;  to  which 
must  be  added  curving  shores  with  sandy  beaches,  outlying 
isles  with  water-carved  rocks  and  caves,  and  the  peculiar  phe- 
nomena exhibited  by  the  "mud  volcanoes"  and  ''pitch  lake." 

According  to  a  local  historian,  Trinidad  is  indeed  a  "land 
of  wonders."  Not  only  is  it  an  island  carved  from  a  con- 
tinent (South  America)  but  it  has  a  continental  fauna  and 
flora.  Everything  is  on  a  grand  scale,  though  insular  in  its 
environment.  "We  have,"  says  its  historian,  "lakes  of  pitch, 
streams  of  tar,  oysters  growing  on  trees,  an  animal  resem- 
bling a  fish  that  produces  its  young  alive,  crabs  that  climb 
and  feed  in  fruit  trees,  another  fish  that  entertains  us  with 
a  concert,  and  lastly,  one  kind  that  is  clad  in  a  complete 
suit  of  armour." 

Columbus  and  Raleigh  both  wrote  of  the  oysters  that  grev/ 
on  the  mangroves  and  were  left  high  and  dry  by  receding 
tides ;  the  soldier  crab  is  said  to  climb  trees  with  ease ;  the 
trumpet  fish  gives  forth  a  resonant  sound ;  and  the  armour- 
clad  fish  is  the  cascadura,  the  delicious  flavour  of  which 
makes  it  an  object  sought  by  the  epicure. 

Great  "sport"  may  be  had  in  Trinidad — much  fishing  and 


TRINIDAD  453 

some  hunting,  and  the  island  is  par  excellence  the  happy 
hunting-ground  of  the  naturalist.  Many  so-called  naturalists, 
in  fact,  have  hunted  it  so  closely  in  years  past  that  wise 
laws  have  been  enacted  prohibiting  them  from  conducting 
their  nefarious  pursuit  of  killing  the  bright-plumaged  birds, 
such  as  trogons,  jacamars,  and  especially  humming-birds, 
which  used  to  swarm  in  the  forest  and  perform  their  aerial 
dances  above  the  flowers  in  every  garden.  There  are  a  few 
noxious  snakes  and  insects,  but  deaths  from  their  bites  are 
rarely  heard  of;  and  unless  the  deep  forests  are  visited  by 
the  hunter  or  naturalist,  and  he  is  compelled  to  sleep  on 
the  ground,  there  is  little  danger.  Even  then,  though  ex- 
posed by  night  and  by  day,  the  government  forest-rangers, 
surveyors,  and  engineers  perform  their  arduous  duties  with 
impunity.  In  the  "high  woods,"  or  forests  composed  of 
great  trees  densely  crowded  together,  we  find  the  timid 
aguti,  a  small,  hare-like  animal  with  coat  of  golden  brown ; 
the  armadillo,  with  his  bony  exterior  casing,  making  him  im- 
pervious to  shot ;  the  lappe,  or  Cavia  paca,  which  is  allied 
to  the  aguti,  but  is  larger  and  quite  as  toothsome ;  the 
"quenck,"  or  peccary,  a  small  but  very  ferocious  wild  hog 
(of  which  beware!);  the  manicou,  or  opossum;  the  tree 
porcupine,  the  wild  deer,  and  the  sloth,  or  great  ant-eater. 
This  last  is  an  inoffensive  animal,  but  is  of  goodly  size  and 
has  powerful  limbs  and  claws,  with  which  it  clutches  what- 
ever or  whoever  comes  within  its  reach.  On  this  account 
it  is  called  the  Mata-pcrro,  or  dog-killer,  since  dogs  fre- 
quently become  its  victims.  The  most  interesting  of  the 
forest  creatures  are  perhaps  the  wild  monkeys,  of  which 
two  species  are  encountered — the  little  sapajou,  or  weeping 
monkey,  and  the  red,  or  howler. 

In  the  forests  we  find  the  native  wild  turkey,  partridges, 
wild  pigeons,  or  ramiers,  trogons.  parrots,  toucans,  humming- 
birds (of  which  there  are  eighteen  species),  and  many  others. 
In  the  deep,  dark  valleys,  far  from  the  haunts  of  man, 
occurs  the  wonderful  campanero,  or  bell-bird,  whose  cry 
resounds  through  the  forest  like  the  sound  of  a  bell.  On 
the  great  savannas  and  along  the  banks  of  ponds  and  streams 
may  be  found  hundreds  of  heron,  egrets,  wild  duck ;  on  the 
shores  beautiful  flamingos,  bulky  pelicans,  gulls,  and  terns. 


454  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST   INDIES 

The  seas  are  almost  alive  with  fish,  and  the  best  "spots" 
are  among  the  "bocas" ;  the  rivers  abound  with  alligators, 
notably  the  river  Caroni ;  and  the  mangroves  contain  quaint 
iguanas,  while  to  their  roots  are  attached  salt-water  oysters 
of  good  flavour.  The  range  for  hunting  and  fishing  is  suffi- 
ciently broad  to  tempt  the  sportsman,  who,  if  he  finds  Trini- 
dad too  "tame,"  can  take  a  trip  up  the  great  Orinoco,  in  the 
forests  along  which  may  be  found  ocelots,  pumas,  or  "tigers," 
and  many  large  animals,  as  well  as  giant  boa  constrictors 
and  anacondas. 

As  to  the  forests  themselves,  a  passing  glance  shows  their 
wonderful  variety,  but  an  examination  alone  such  as  has  been 
made  by  the  government  rangers  reveals  their  wonderful 
resources.  It  is  said  that  Trinidad  is  the  only  British 
island  of  the  West  Indies  which  still  has  a  fair  proportion 
of  primeval  forest,  and  the  Government  has  wisely  conserved 
such  areas  as  wall  conduce  to  the  tempering  of  the  climate, 
regulation  of  the  water  supply,  prevention  of  land-slips  and 
floods,  and  the  economic  production  of  valuable  timber.  That 
the  timber  here  is  valuable  only  mere  mention  of  names 
familiar  to  all,  as  those  of  world-renowned  dye  and  cab- 
inet woods,  is  necessary  to  show.  One  of  the  most  valuable 
of  woods  is  that  of  the  cedar  (Ccdrcia  odorata),  wh\ch  grows 
to  the  height  of  So  feet ;  the  "bullet-wood"  (Mimusops 
globosa)  reaches  a  height  of  lOO  feet,  and  is  from  4  to  6  feet 
in  diameter,  with  dark  red  wood,  dense,  heavy  and  durable; 
the  "purple-heart"  is  dark  purple  in  colour,  close-grained  and 
hard,  suitable  for  cabinet  work;  the  "mora"  grows  to  be 
120  feet  high,  and  its  wood  is  very  durable ;  the  fustic  is 
a  small  tree,  the  wood  of  which  yields  the  yellow  dye  so 
well  kno\\n  to  commerce;  mahogany  and  logwood  are  also 
among  those  the  value  of  which  is  generally  known,  and  there 
are  scores  of  other  trees  in  the  great  forests  that  go  to  make 
up  the  ensemble  of  the  wild  wood  resources. 

One  does  not  have  to  go  to  the  forests,  however,  to  see  the 
most  wonderful  specimens  of  arboreal  giants,  since  they  are 
collected,  both  native  and  exotic,  in  the  great  botanical 
gardens  near  Port-of-Spain.  All  the  palms  are  seen  there, 
as  well  as  abroad  on  the  island,  such  as  the  great  mountain- 
palm,    the   cocoa,    the   gru-gru,   and   gri-gri ;   the   vast   silk- 


TRINIDAD  455 

cottons,  or  ccihas,  tower  above  the  roadways,  as  well  as  in 
sheltered,  shady  nooks  far  from  towns  and  cities;  the  wide- 
spreading  "banyans"  and  the  parasitic  "figs"  claim  the  atten- 
tion of  strangers,  from  their  peculiar  appearance,  and  the 
aggregated  vines  of  the  "rope-tree"  excite  his  wonder.  The 
variety  of  trees  is  too  great  for  them  to  be  classified  and 
enumerated  here,  but  enough  have  been  mentioned  to  indi- 
cate that  variety. 

Many  of  the  forest  trees  bear  delicious  fruits,  since  some 
of  cultivated  varieties  have  run  wild,  and  there  are  also 
natives  that  yield  palatable  products ;  but  the  plantations  and 
gardens,  of  course,  contain  the  best.  To  mention  all  would 
be  merely  to  enumerate  those  to  be  found  between  the  equator 
and  the  northern  tropic,  for  every  tropical  fruit  and  vege- 
table finds  in  Trinidad  a  congenial  home,  as  indicated  by  the 
following  list,  which  shows  their  season  of  perfection: 

Fruits  and  Vegetables:    When  in  Season 

All  the  Year. — Banana.  Breadfruit.  Breadnut.  Cassava, 
Cocoanut,  Lime,  Plantain,  Pumpkin,  Sweet  Potato,  Pome- 
granate, Soursop,  Tania,  Yam. 

January  to  March. — Custard  Apple,  Ground  Nut,  ]\Iaize, 
Orange,  Sapodilla,  Sapote. 

April  to  July. — Mammy  Apple,  Star  Apple,  Pineapple,  Ca- 
shew, Cherry,  Guava,  Gru-gru,  Jimbolin,  Jamaica  Plum, 
Tamarind. 

July  to  September. — ]\fammy  Apple,  Sugar  Apple,  Balata, 
Christophine,  Cucumber,  Guava,  Granadilla,  Kenip  or  Genip, 
Mango,  Muskmelon,  Watermelon.  ATalacca  Apple.  Melon- 
gene,  Orange,  Governor  Plum,  Hog  Plum.  Java  Plum,  Rice, 
Sapodilla,  Sapote,  Tomato. 

October  to  December. — Custard  Apple,  Golden  Apple.  Belle 
Apple,  Sugar  Apple,  Citron.  Christophine.  Cucumber,  For- 
bidden Fruit,  Lemon,  IMaize,  Melongene,  Orange.  Ochro, 
Pawpaw.  Pois-doux,  Pepper,  Pigeon  Pea,  Rice,  Shaddock, 
Tomato. 

There  are,  without  exaggeration,  whole  forests  of  flowers, 
as  one  may  note  in  spring  and  summer  time,  when  the  woods 
are  ablaze  with  colour,  cogwood  and  bois  immortelle  vying 
for  supremacy.  In  a  few  words,  the  tropical  flora  of  the 
West  Indies  finds  here  its  highest  expression. 


456  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST   INDIES 

The  mineral  resources  of  the  island  are  not  extensive,  there 
being  no  gold,  silver,  precious  stones,  no  coal  in  any  quan- 
tity, and  little  petroleum.  But  it  has  an  almost  exclusive 
possession  in  asphalt,  mined  from  the  unique  and  wonder- 
ful "Pitch  Lake,"  to  the  extent  of  nearly  $1,000,000  w^orth 
a  year.  From  this  product  alone  the  Government  derives  an 
income  of  nearly  $200,000  yearly,  which  will  be  increased 
annually  for  a  long  time  to  come. 

Trinidad's  stronghold  is  agriculture,  for  with  its  rich  soil, 
deep  and  everlasting,  and  its  moist,  hot  climate,  there  is 
nothing  that  grows  within  the  zones  of  heat  that  cannot  be 
produced  here  in  rankest  luxuriance.  The  staple  cultivation 
is,  or  was,  sugar,  which  stood  by  the  planters  for  many, 
many  years,  but  was  at  last  supplanted  by  cacao,  when 
emancipation  reduced  the  supply  of  labourers,  and  bounty-fed 
beet  sugar  glutted  the  markets.  Sugar  has  fallen  in  value 
as  an  export  from  about  $4,000,000  in  1880  to  $2,000,000  since 
the  present  century  opened.  Cacao,  on  the  contrary,  has 
increased  within  ten  years  from  some  $2,500,000  to  about 
$5,000,000.  The  cultivation  of  the  cacao  {Theohroma  cacao, 
which  furnishes  the  chocolate  of  commerce)  is  inexpensive 
as  compared  with  sugar-cane,  and  it  is  also  more  delightful, 
taking  one  into  the  cooler,  more  picturesque  regions  of  the 
islands,  the  hill  country. 

Wherever  one  goes  he  may  see  the  restless  leaves  of  the 
cocoanut-palms  waving  in  the  air,  and  on  the  east  side  of  the 
island  are  many  thousands  of  these  valuable  trees,  which 
yield  a  good  return  frofn  their  nuts.  The  export  value  of 
cocoanuts  averages  about  $100,000  a  year,  with  perhaps  half 
as  much  derived  from  copra  and  cocoanut  oil.  Other  tropical 
products  may  be  classed  as  "minor,"  as  compared  with  these 
three  staples,  for  while  coffee  and  tobacco,  cotton  and  rice, 
rubber  and  fruits  might  be  exported  in  great  quantities,  the 
truth  is  they  are  not.  The  acreage  under  cultivation,  by  the 
latest  statistics,  is:  Sugar,  60,000  acres;  rice,  12,000;  cacao, 
180.000;  coffee,  5.000;  rubber,  oranges,  limes,  etc.,  2,000; 
"ground  provisions"'  (tanias,  yams,  sweet  potatoes,  etc.), 
30,000  acres.  The  island  is  about  55  miles  in  length  by  40  in 
breadth,  and  its  area  is  estimated  at  1,750  square  miles,  or 
1,122,880  square  acres,  of  which  only  about  300,000  acres  are 


C/3 


TRINIDAD  457 

cultivated.  Much  of  the  island  consists  of  uncultivable  hills, 
swamps,  etc. ;  but  allowing  for  all  this,  Trinidad  yet  con- 
tains a  great  opportunity  for  the  settler  willing  to  isolate 
himself  from  his  kind  and  essay  the  making  of  a  fortune  from 
this  tropical  wilderness  of  a  million  available  acres. 

The  general  aspect  of  Trinidad,  says  one  who  is  officially 
connected  with  its  government  administration,  is  that  of  a 
comparatively  level  country,  none  of  its  mountains  possess- 
ing the  towering  grandeur  of  the  lofty  peaks  which  distin- 
guish the  Lesser  Antilles.  In  the  three  ranges  of  hills  which, 
running  parallel  with  one  another,  divide  the  island  into  two 
principal  valleys  or  basins,  there  are,  how^ever,  two  or  three 
peaks  of  considerable  elevation,  such  as  Tucutche  (3.012  feet) 
in  the  w^est  and  the  Cerro  de  Aripo  (2740)  in  the  east.  The 
central  and  southern  ranges  of  hills  are  much  less  elevated, 
the  highest  peak  in  the  former,  Tamana,  being  only  a  little 
over  1,000  feet,  whilst  the  highest  elevation  in  the  southern 
range  does  not  much  exceed  700  feet. 

The  valleys  and  plains  are  watered  and  drained  by  several 
large  rivers,  supplied  by  innumerable  small  tributaries,  and 
the  mountain  ranges  are  everywhere  deeply  indented  with 
ravines  and  deep  gorges,  through  most  of  which  flow  abun- 
dant streams  of  water.  There  cannot  be  a  doubt  but  that 
the  island  owes  much  of  its  richness  and  fertility  to  these 
numerous  streams,  which,  flowing  through  its  valleys,  cover 
them  with  never-fading  verdure  and  beauty.* 

CITIES  AND  SETTLEMENTS 

"Where,  down  the  purple  slope  that  slants 
Across  the  hills,  the  sunrays  glance 
With    hot   stare   through   the    cocoa-trees, 
And  wine-palms  tent  beside  the  seas, 
There  Fort-of-Spaiu,  long  leagues  away, 
Glows  in  the  mellow  mist  of  day." 

Port-of-Spain,  Trinidad's  capital  and  only  city  of  conse- 
quence, occupies  a  semicircular  plain,  with  an  immediate  back- 
ground of  beautiful  hills,  near  the  northwestern  extremity  of 
the  island.  It  owes  more  to  its  tropical  environment  than  to  its 
buildings,   but   fortunately  these   are   embowered   in   foliage, 

*  From  I'ere,  the  Land  of  tlie  Huunning  Bird,  by  H.  J.  Clark,  F.S.S. 


458  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST  INDIES 

and  it  may  be  called  one  of  the  most  attractive,  as  it  cer- 
tainly is  one  of  the  busiest,  cities  in  the  West  Indies.  It 
owes  its  modern  aspect  to  a  destructive  conflagration,  which 
consumed  nearly  500  houses  and  rendered  homeless  almost 
5,000  people.  But,  like  most  disasters  of  this  sort,  this  fire 
was  a  blessing  in  disguise,  for  the  frail,  palm-thatched  struc- 
tures of  the  colonial  epoch  were  replaced  by  substantial 
buildings  of  stone.  The  lanes  and  by-ways  also  were 
widened  into  broad,  straight  streets,  intersecting  one  another 
at  right  angles  and  running  either  north  and  south  or  east 
and  west.  At  the  same  time  they  were  planted  with  noble 
forest  trees,  so  that  now  they  form  attractive  avenues,  which 
here  and  there  open  out  into  squares  and  plazas,  adorned  with 
fountains   and  statuary. 

Such  an  interesting  avenue  is  Marine  "Square,"  w'hich  ex- 
tends quite  across  the  city's  breadth,  nearly  100  feet  in  wddth, 
from  a  landing-wharf  to  the  Dry  River.  Another  notable 
square  is  Brunswick,  near  the  centre  of  the  city,  which  in 
Spanish  times  was  known  as  the  Plaza  de  Annas,  and  in 
French  as  the  Place  d' Amies.  It  is  surrounded  wath  great 
trees,  and  in  its  centre  is  a  fine  fountain  of  bronze,  the  gift 
of  a  one-time  resident  and  landed  proprietor,  Gregor  Turn- 
bull.  Port-of-Spain's  merchants  were,  and  are,  of  the 
princely  kind,  whose  trading  with  distant  ports  gave  them 
broad  views  and  elevated  sentiments.  This  may  be  said  also 
of  its  estate  proprietors,  to  whom  is  due  much  of  the  city's 
rapid  growth  after  the  great  fires  of  1808  and  1895;  and 
they  were  ably  seconded  by  the  various  colonial  governors 
sent  out  from  England.  Columbus  Square,  for  example,  owes 
its  handsome  fountain  to  a  wealthy  cacao  proprietor,  and  its 
distinguishing  appellation  to  a  creditable  statue  of  the  great 
discoverer.  Tranquillity  Square  is  another  "breathing-space" 
of  the  city,  spacious  and  enclosed,  planted  with  trees  and 
ornamental  shrubs. 

While  composed  in  great  part  of  unattractive  buildings, 
Port-of-Spain  can  boast  many  excellent  structures,  which  it 
would  be  worth  the  visitor's  while  to  visit  and  examine.  The 
Anglican  Cathedral,  on  Brunswick  Square,  is  a  fine  Gothic, 
of  stone,  with  a  roof  of  island  W'Oods,  excellent  carvings  by 
a  native,  a  magnificent  organ,  and  a  chime  of  eight  bells. 


TRINIDAD  459 

From  the  top  of  its  tower  an  excellent  view  of  the  city 
may  be  obtained.  A  more  pretentious  structure  is  the  Roman 
Catholic  Cathedral,  on  Marine  Square,  which  contains  many 
fine  paintings,  a  costly  pulpit,  a  beautiful  marble  font,  an  altar 
made  in  Florence  by  Manini,  and  handsome  stained-glass 
windows'.  Its  tower  contains  twelve  bells  and  a  clock  with 
three  dials.  Seen  above  and  between  the  trees  of  the  square, 
it  is  very  effective.  All  leading  denominations  are  repre- 
sented here  by  attractive  churches,  chief  among  them  being 
the  Presbyterian,  Baptist,  Moravian,  and  Wesleyan. 

One  of  the  finest  public  buildings  is  the  police  barracks, 
built  of  native  limestone,  in  the  Italian-Gothic  style ;  another 
is  the  police  hospital,  which  is  massive  and  imposing,  though 
a  single-storied  structure.  The  barracks  building  is  par- 
ticularly attractive,  with  its  enclosed  colonnades  and  galleries 
in  the  pointed  Gothic,  while  the  colonial  hospital,  designed 
by  a  native  architect,  reflects  great  credit  upon  both  designers 
and  builders.  The  government  buildings,-  on  Brunswick 
Square,  constitute  two  blocks,  connected  by  a  double  arch- 
way. Here  are  the  offices  of  the  governor,  colonial  secretary, 
and  other  officials  constituting  the  governing  body  of  the 
island.  The  government,  it  may  be  remarked  in  passing,  is 
vested  in  a  governor,  an  executive  council,  and  a  legislative 
council,  all  of  whom  are  appointed  by  the  Crown.  The 
governor  receives  a  salary  of  $25,000 ;  the  colonial  secre- 
tary, $6,000;  the  attorney-general,  $6,500;  auditor-general, 
$4,000;  inspector-general,  $5,000;  the  chief  justice,  $7,500; 
director  of  p«iblic  works,  $6,000;  solicitor-general,  $4,500;  the 
first  and  second  puisne  judges,  $5,000  each;  the  collector  of 
customs,  $4,500;  sub-intendant,  Crown  lands,  $3,500;  re- 
ceiver-general, $4,000;  protector  of  immigrants,  $5,000;  reg- 
istrar-general, $2,750;  postmaster-general,  $2,750;  harbour 
master,  $2,500;  surgeon-general,  $5,500;  and  the  inspector  of 
schools,  $3,500.* 

On  account  of  its  great  expense  and  the  extent  of  its  per- 
sonnel, Trinidad's  government  has  frequently  been  alluded 
to  as  cumbersome,  and  many  complaints  have  been  made 
that  nearly  all  the  government  appointees  have  been  from 
■'Downing  Street,"  or,  in  other  words,  from  the  "mother 
*From  Wht'taker's  Almanack,  latest  edition. 


46o  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST   INDIES 

country."  On  the  other  hand,  its  defenders  have  not  failed 
to  point  out  its  effectiveness  in  the  past,  and  (notably  Mr. 
Froude,  in  his  English  in  the  West  Indies)  that  England 
has  borne  the  bulk  of  expenses  during  more  than  a  hundred 
years,  maintained  its  defensive  works  and  forces,  and  pro- 
vided the  colony  with  a  market,  as  well  as  reimbursed  it 
for  losses  entailed  by  fires  and  the  emancipation  of  the 
.slaves. 

The  eouncil  chamber  in  the  government  building  is  a 
spacious  room  with  an  ornamental  ceiling  of  native  woods, 
and  contains  a  stained-glass  window  with  an  historical  scene, 
the  "Landing  of  Columbus  at  Trinidad,"  in  which  the  dis- 
coverer is  represented  as  planting  the  standard  of  Spain, 
while  an  aboriginal  Indian  peers  through  tropical  foliage  in 
the  background. 

Municipal  ownership  has  had  a  beginning  in  Port-of-Spain, 
the  city  holding  title  to  its  three  excellent  markets  (eastern, 
western,  and  southern),  and  as  well  a  magnificent  cocoanut 
estate  (the  "Cocal/'  at  Mayaro),  and  the  islands  of  Monos, 
Huez'os,  Chacachacare,  and  Patos,  at  the  "Bocas." 

The  city  contains  such  beneficent  institutions  as  the  public 
library,  founded  in  185 1,  with  nearly  30,000  volumes,  which 
is  supported  by  subscriptions  and  an  annual  grant  from 
government ;  and  the  Victoria  Institute  and  Museum,  founded 
in  commemoration  of  the  late  queen,  which  was  opened  in 
1892,  Here  may  be  seen  a  fine  collection  illustrating  the 
island's  fauna  and  flora,  ornithology  and  conchology  being 
especially  well  represented.  As  indicating  the  advanced  status 
of  the  residents,  it  may  be  mentioned  that  the  Institute  is 
the  headquarters  of  an  Agricultural  Board,  of  the  Scientific 
Association  and  Medical  Council,  a  Field  Naturalists'  Club, 
and  a  Literary  Association,  all  flourishing  and  well  attended 
at  their  regular  meetings. 

The  enterprise  and  energy  of  these  sub-tropical  residents 
of  Trinidad's  capital  is  well  illustrated  in  commercial  life, 
for  the  city  is  filled  with  large  and  well-stocked  stores,  the 
owners  of  which  are  as  alive  to  the  needs  of  the  times,  in 
advertising  and  displays  of  goods,  as  any  business  men  that 
live  in  northern  climes.  Immense  stocks  are  carried  by  those 
who  have  dealings  with  Venezuelan  towns  and  settlements, 


TRINIDAD  461 

especially  on  the  Orinoco  and  in  the  peninsula  of  Paria,  and, 
owing  to  their  dealings  direct  with  the  marts  of  England 
and  Europe,  articles  of  wear  and  for  everyday  use  may  be 
obtained    here   at   lower   prices   than    in    the   United    States. 

Especially  is  this  true  of  apparel  necessary  for  use  in  the 
tropics,  such  as  East  Indian  pith  helmets,  linen  suits,  etc. 
"Foodstuffs,"  particularly  "tinned  goods,"  coming  mostly 
from  England  and  the  United  States,  are  slightly  higher  in 
price  than  in  the  places  of  their  production ;  but  liquors  of 
every  description,  as  wines,  whiskeys,  cordials,  etc.,  are 
almost  alarmingly  low.  A  special  product  of  the  region, 
which  may  be  properly  mentioned  in  this  connection,  is  that 
widely  known  appetiser,  "Angostura  bitters,"  which,  though 
for  many  years  manufactured  at  the  Venezuelan  town  on  the 
Orinoco  from  which  it  derives  its  name,  is  now  produced 
in  vast  quantities  by  the  sons  of  the  original  inventor,  or 
discoverer,  at  their  large  establishment  in  Port-of-Spain. 

All  the  buildings  mentioned,  the  chief  stores,  the  banks,  the 
post-office,  town  hall,  law  courts,  and  the  government  offices 
are  contained  in  the  southern  portion  of  the  city,  which  on 
Sundays  and  holidays  "is  almost  as  quiet  and  deserted  as 
the  'city'  part  of  London."  There  are  several  good  hotels 
within  the  city  limits;  also  an  excellent  "ice-house,"  restau- 
rants and  clubs ;  but  the.  leading  officials,  the  merchants,  the 
well-to-do  citizens  in  general,  reside  in  the  northern  part  of 
the  city  or  in  the  suburbs,  where  their  modest  villas  and 
handsome  mansions  are  set  amidst  attractive  grounds,  flower 
adorned,  and  embowered  in  ever-verdurous  trees. 

Interesting  as  Port-of-Spain  may  be  to  the  visitor,  it  cannot 
be  denied  that  the  local  climate  is  sultry  at  times,  and  op- 
pressively hot  in  the  middle-  of  the  day.  while  the  street 
odours  are  not  always  those  of  "Araby  the  Blest !"  That 
carrion  abounds  in  the  city  and  immediate  suburbs  is  evi- 
denced by  the  ever-present  carrion  crows  or  turkey-buzzards, 
which  are  rigidly  protected  as  city  scavengers,  and  in  conse- 
quence possess  a  boldness,  and  even  obtrusiveness.  that  is 
sometimes  resented  by  the  visitor.  Should  he,  however,  carry 
his  resentment  so  far  as  to  slay  or  maim  one  of  these 
repulsive  scavengers  he  would  certainly  be  haled  before  the 
local  bar  of  justice  and  imprisoned  or  heavily  fined. 


462  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST  INDIES 


PRINCIPAL  CAB  FARES 
Around  and  About  Port-of-Spain,  from  6  a.m.  to  6  p.m. 


CAB    FARES 

TO    OR    FROM 


St.  James'  Barracks 

Botanic  Gardens 

Queen's  Park  Hotel 

Red  House(Government  Offices) 

Colonial  Hospital 

Broadway 

Jetty,  St.  Vincent  Wharf 

Lunatic  Asylum 

Queen's  Park,  N.  W.  corner 

All  Saints  Church 

Railway  Station 

Woodbrook 


"a; 

s.    d. 

s.    d. 

I     6 

2      3 

I     3 

I     9 

I      o 

I     o 

I     o 

I     o 

I     o 

I     o 

I     o 

I      o 

I      0 

I     6 

2      O 

I     o 

2      O 

I     6 

I       0 

I     o 

I     6 

CT3  'O 


Round  the  Savanna,     2/3 
Round  Circular  Road 

and  back 4/3 

Blue  Basin  and  back,  $5.00 

Maraccas  Fall 7.00 

Round  the  Saddle.  .  .    6.00 


Broadway  to  Maraval 

Reservoir 4/3 

Broadway  to  Cocorite,  2/6 
Broadway     to     Four 
Roads 4/3 


Inhabitants  of  Trinidad.  Trinidad  contains  to-day  not 
far  from  300,000  inhabitants,  of  whom  about  60,000  reside 
in  Port-of-Spain  and  its  suburbs.  It  is  said  to  present  a 
greater  diversity  in  population  than  any  inhabited  land  of 
equal  area  in  America.  Added  to  the  aborigines,  after  1499, 
were  Spaniards;  then  French  (mainly  in  the  eighteenth 
century),  English,  Venezuelans  (a  hybrid  stock,  with  Indian, 
negro,  and  Spanish  blood  in  its  veins),  Africans,  and, 
finally.  East  Indians  and  Chinese. 

By  far  the  most  interesting  people  dwelling  here  are  the 
East  Indians,  chiefly  coolies  brought  here  under  indentures 
for  labour  on  the  plantations.  They  now  constitute  fully 
one-third  the  entire  population,  of  which  thousands  of  those 
whose  terms  of  service  have  expired  now  form  an  integral 


TRINIDAD  463 

part.  They  form,  as  it  were,  a  people  within  a  people,  for 
they  have  not,  like  the  Chinese,  intermarried  with  the  negroes, 
nor  do  they  assimilate  in  any  manner  with  the  dominant  races. 

The  beginning  of  the  Coolie  immigration  was  in  1839,  when 
agents  were  sent  to  Calcutta  to  regulate  the  exportation  of 
labourers,  who  were  brought  under  indentured  terms  of  ser- 
vice of  at  first  three  years,  extended  to  five  in  1844.  That 
they  have  been,  in  a  sense,  the  salvation  of  Trinidad  almost 
everybody  admits,  for  at  the  time  of  their  introduction  the 
island  was  suffering  from  a  dearth  of  labourers,  and  their 
coming  rescued  the  planters  from  poverty.  They  have  sup- 
plied, too,  a  picturesque  element,  which  is  congruous  with 
the  tropical  scenery,  so  far  as  their  costumes  go,  though 
their  habitations  are  not  so  attractive  as  those  of  the  negroes. 
They  may  be  seen  in  every  street,  in  every  section  of  the 
island,  and  their  villages  in  such  localities  as  Woodbrook, 
on  the  road  to  the  Blue  Basin,  in   San  Fernando,  etc. 

Port-of-Spain  and  Its  Suburbs.  Owing  to  the  shallow 
waters  of  the  Gulf  of  Paria,  that  wash  the  shores  of  Trinidad, 
steamers  of  great  tonnage  cannot  approach  within  two  miles 
or  more  of  the  capital,  so  the  landing  of  passengers  is  accom- 
plished by  the  aid  of  small  boats  or  launches.  Aside  from  the 
arrangements  made  for  their  passengers'  convenience  by  the 
various  lines  of  steamers,  the  city  governing  board  has  done 
its  best  to  protect  visitors  from  extortion  by  a  tariff  of  fares, 
to  which  the  boatmen  are  obliged  to  adhere,  as  follows: 

For  any  distance  up  to  ^4  mile  from  lighthouse  jetty, 

each   passenger,   6d 12  cents 

For  any  distance  within  H  mile,  each,  is 24  cents 

Beyond  ^3  mile,  but  within  harbour  limits,  each,  2S..48  cents 
Beyond  harbour  limits,  for  every  mile  or  part,  each  36  cents 

These  charges  include  a  wait  alongside  boat  of  not  more 
than  fifteen  minutes ;  no  abatement  in  case  of  no  return. 

For  a  boat  with  four  oars  fare  will  be  double.  Each  passen- 
ger is  allowed  one  package  and  such  small  articles  as  he 
can  carry  in  hand.     For  each  additional  package,  6  cents. 

On    Sundays,   and  from  6   p.m.  to  6  a.m.    on   week  days, 
double  fares. 

The  regulations  under  the  "Harbours  Ordinance"  are  that 
no  boatman  may — 


464  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST  INDIES 

1.  Demand  or  take  from  a  passenger  more  than  his  legal 
fare. 

2.  Refuse  or  attempt  to  avoid  any  fare  or  passenger. 

3.  Untruly  represent  that  he  is  hired  or  engaged. 

4.  Refuse  to  answer  when  called  by  the  number  of  the  boat 
in  which  he  is  plying,  or  give  his  name  or  number  of  boat  or 
license  to  any  person  who,  on  paying  his  fare,  demands  the 
same. 

5.  Unnecessarily  delay  any  fare  or  passenger. 

6.  Obstruct  or  hinder  any  person  desirous  of  approaching 
any  boat  or  boatman. 

7.  Make  use  of  any  indecent,  obscene,  or  abusive  language, 
to  any  passenger  or  person  desirous  of  hiring  a  boat. 

(a)  Every  boatman  when  plying  for  hire  must  wear  his 
badge. 

(b)  All  boats  must  have  the  name  of  the  owner,  number 
of  license,  and  initial  letters  of  harbour  in  which  licensed, 
legibly  painted  on  the  stern  in  letters  at  least  i^  inches  in 
length. 

They  must  also  have  a  Table  of  Fares  painted  or  affixed 
in  the  boat  in  a  conspicuous  place  so  as  to  be  easily  read  by 
a  passenger. 

Penalties  attached  to  non-observance  of  above  Rules — 
£2  to  £10. 

To   the   various  points   accessible  by   water   from    Port-of- 
Spain  the   fares  are  by  law : 
Chacachacare $6  00    Chaguanas    $2  25 


Monos _. 4  00    Barancon  and  Casajal.  .  3  00 

Couva  3  60 

Savanetta   4  50 

Pointe-a-Pierre  5  00 

San  Fernando 6  00 

Oropuche    8  00 

Pitch  Lake 10  00 


Gasparee    and    Chagua- 

ramas 3  00 

Point  Gourde  and  Caren- 

age 2  25 

Point  Cumana   and   Co- 

corite I   80 

Landing  place  at  Caroni  3  00 

(San  Fernando.) 
For  any  distance  not  exceeding  500  yards,  for  each 

passenger    I2>^  cts. 

Beyond  500,  and  not  exceeding  i  inile 25  cts. 

For  every  additional  mile  beyond  the  first,  for  any 

number  of  passengers  not  exceeding  four 25  cts. 

These  prices  are  for  small  boats;  and  as  most  of  the  places 
mentioned  can  be  reached  by  steamer,  excessive  rates  need 
not  be  paid  except  in  emergency. 

Port-of-Spain's  cab  service  is  excellent  and  well  regulated. 
Fares  from  any  point  in  the  city  to  another  within  1,500  yards, 


TRINIDAD 


465 


I  shilling,  or  its  equivalent,  an  American  "quarter" — strictly, 
24  cents.  For  excursions  into  suburbs,  i  shilling  per  mile. 
"For  every  fifteen  minutes  the  hirer  stops  a  cab,  if  hired  by 
distance  (in  addition  to  above  fares),  6d.,  or  12  cents.  Fares 
by  time,  4  shillings  per  hour;  for  every  additional  fifteen 
minutes  or  portion  thereof,  gd. — 18  cents.  The  fares  be- 
tween 8  P.M.  and  6  a.m.,  half  as  much  again;  no  driver  to  be 
compelled  to  hire  his  carriage  for  a  fare  *by  time'  between 
those  hours.  When  two  or  more  persons  are  carried  inside, 
only,  a  sum  of  6d. — 12  cents — can  be  charged  for  the  whole 
distance.  Two  children  under  ten  years  to  be  charged  as 
one  adult  person.  Baggage  carried  outside  in  addition  to 
load  inside,  4d.  for  every  package.  For  every  hackney  car- 
riage drawn  by  two  horses,  one-third  more  than  above  rates. 
Fares  to  be  paid  according  to  'distance'  or  'time,'  at  option  of 
the  hirer,  to  be  expressed  at  the  time  bargain  is  made." 

Public  carts  for  luggage,  etc.,  are  available  for  any  place 
within  city  limits  at  from  15  to  30  cents  a  trip,  and  porters 
for   15   cents  an  hour,   or  60  cents  a  day. 

The  following  table  gives  the  distances : 

From  Port-of-Spain  to 

Miles 

San  Juan  (Market)    3^ 

S.  Joseph   (foot  of  hill).   sVi 

S.  Joseph  River 6jx^ 

Tacarigua  River 9y1t 

Arouca  Police  Station.  .  .11^ 


Miles 
Manzanilla  Warden's  Of- 
fice        T,z 

San    Fernando    via    Cu- 


nupi 40 

Santa    Cruz    Police    Sta- 
tion    9 

Four  Roads  3^4 

Diego  Martin   6^ 

Cocorite   2^^ 

L'Ance  Pouchette    35^ 

Carenage    7 


Arouca  River 12% 

Arima   Police   Station    . .  16 
Chaguanas        (by       high 

road) .19 

Carapichaima        shipping 

place   2yy2 

Couva  Police  Station.  ..  .32 

Claxton    Bay   36^ 

Guaracara  Bridge 40^ 

Guanapo   18 

Matura  40 

Valencia    21  ■)4 

Sangre     Gran  d  0    Rest 

House    30      I 

The  above  distances  are  reckoned  from  the  boundaries  of 
Port-of-Spain. 


Hart's  Cut  10^^ 

Chaguaramas  Bay  11  ^4 

Chaguanas    (by  water) . .  10 

Couva    (by  water) 18 

San  Fernando  (by  water) 28 

T.a  Brea  (by  water) 38 

Cedros   (by  water) 53 


466  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST   INDIES 

Detached  from  its  environment,  Port-of-Spain  would  not 
be  worth  the  tourist's  while  to  visit ;  but  we  must  consider  it 
as  the  gateway,  merely,  to  as  near  an  approach  to  the  much- 
sought  "tropical  paradise"  as  the  western  world  can  show. 
That  is,  there  are  paradisiacal  scenes  to  be  found  in  Trini- 
dad, that  suggest,  if  they  do  not  realise,  one's  ideal  of  what 
an  earthly  paradise  should  be. 

The  nearest  scene  thus  suggestive  is  found  not  far  away, 
and  may  be  reached  by  tram,  at  an  expense  of  a  few  cents 
only.  The  Trinidad  Electric  Tramway  has  a  double  line  to 
the  "Savanna"  or  "Queen's  Park,"  via  Frederick  Street, 
from  the  railway  station  in  town ;  and  arrived  there  one 
finds  a  level  pasture  containing  more  than  two  hundred 
acres,  encircled  by  a  belt  of  large  trees,  forming  what 
Charles  Kingsley  calls  "a  public  park  and  race-ground  such 
as  neither  London  nor  Paris  can  boast."  On  one  side  of 
this  magnificent  park,  separated  from  it  only  by  a  level  road, 
which  completely  encircles  it,  are  the  Governor's  residence 
and  the  Botanic  Gardens,  and  here,  if  anywhere,  may  be 
found  the  beautiful  scenes  alluded  to. 

Government  House.  The  residence  provided  for  the  execu- 
tive (St.  Ann's)  is  a  little  palace  of  itself,  though  costing 
to  erect  not  more  than  $250,000.  Built  of  native  limestone, 
it  is  entirely  congruous  with  its  surroundings — and  that  is, 
after  all,  the  true  secret  of  architectural  success,  for  man 
cannot  compete  successfully  with  nature  in  the  Tropics,  try 
he  never  so  hard.  The  structure  devoted  to  the  use  of  the 
chief  official  of  Trinidad  was  erected  in  1875 ;  but  the  as- 
semblage of  tropical  trees,  shrubs — plants  of  every  descrip- 
tion known  to  nature  near  the  equator — had  its  beginnings 
away  back  in  the  century  past. 

The  Botanic  Garden.  It  was  in  the  year  1820 — to  be 
exact — that  Sir  Ralph  Woodford,  one  of  the  most  enter- 
prising of  Trinidad's  excellent  governors,  commenced  plant- 
ing here,  under  the  direction  of  a  skilled  botanist,  Mr.  Lock- 
hart.  There  then  existed,  in  the  island  of  St.  Vincent,  a 
garden  of  plants  which  had  its  origin  in  the  eighteenth  cen- 
tury, and  from  this  were  brought  many  of  the  exotics  which 
now  adorn,  or  were  the  predecessors  of  the  wonderful  tropi- 
cal forms  that  we  find  here  now.     Intelligently  conceived 


TRINIDAD  467 

and  carried  out,  as  were  the  plans  of  those  far-seeing  bene- 
factors of  our  race,  Mother  Nature  aided  to  the  extent  of 
her  vast  resources,  and  thus,  beneath  an  ever-shining  sun,  in 
the  land  of  all  others  where  climate  conduced  to  success, 
this  beautiful  Botanical  Garden  grew  to  perfection.  As  the 
talented  author  of  I'crc  truly  says:  "While  it  is  quite  true 
that  none  but  a  botanist  can  fully  realise  all  the  riches  of  the 
world  of  plant-life  represented  here,  yet  to  every  lover  of 
nature,  whether  versed  or  not  in  botanical  science,  they  pre- 
sent an  endless  succession  of  new  and  beautiful  forms,  rang- 
ing from  the  most  delicate  mosses  and  tiny  film-ferns,  to  the 
stately  palms  and  forest  trees — a  field  for  contemplation  and 
study  as  wide  as  it  is  wonderful. 

"Even  the  visitor  blind  to  all  the  charms  of  nature — and, 
'if  such  there  be,  go  mark  him  well' — cannot  fail  to  derive 
pleasure  from  an  early  morning  ramble  through  chese  gar- 
dens, their  shady  walks  being  especially  at  that  time  de- 
liciously  cool,  while  the  air  is  made  fragrant  by  the  perfume 
of  flowers  and  the  morning  breeze  laden  with  the  aroma 
from  the  nutmeg  and  other  spices." 

Some  of  the  notable  trees,  even  in  a  country  famous  for 
its  arboreal  wonders,  are  the  Amherstia  nobilis,  50  feet 
in  height,  with  its  annual  efflorescence  of  beautiful  bloom; 
the  striking  giants  of  the  forest,  the  Poui  trees — Tecoma 
scrratifoUa,  and  spectabilis — which  when  in  blossom  "look 
like  huge  bouquets  of  golden  yellow  flowers"  ;  the  "traveller's 
tree,"  Urania  spcciosa,  with  its  triangular  crown  of  leaves, 
like  those  of  the  banana  or  plantain,  30  to  40  feet  in  height, 
from  the  bases  of  which,  if  pierced,  a  stream  of  clear  water 
gushes  forth;  the  peculiar  "Cannon-ball  tree,"  Couroupifa 
Guiancnsis,  so-called  from  its  immense  fruits,  like  veritable 
cannon-balls  in  shape  and  size;  the  giant  Samans  (Pifhe- 
colobium  .Sfl;;/an), useful  as  well  as  ornamental,  since  they  pro- 
duce innumerable  sweet  pods,  which  are  greedily  devoured 
by  cattle;  the  Palmyra  palm  {Borassus  HahcUiformis)  \  the 
Talipot  palm  (Coryhlia  unibracilifcra)  ;  date  palms;  cocoa 
palms  (of  course)  ;  fan  palms — in  fact,  every  species  of  the 
renowned  Palmacccc.  In  very  truth,  as  the  ubiquitous  auc- 
tioneers are  wont  to  say,  trees,  shrubs,  flowering  plants, 
ferns,  etc.,  etc.,  are  "too  numerous  to  mention."     Here  one 


468  A  GUIDE  TO   THE   WEST   INDIES 

finds,  indeed,  a  microcosm  of  the  tropical  botanical  world, 
and  need  seek  no  farther  for  an  exposition  in  miniature  of 
its  wonders. 

Should  you  desire  to  view  it  as  a  whole,  and  at  the  same 
time  obtain  a  glimpse  of  its  entrancing  environment,  climb 
to  the  little  kiosk  perched  upon  an  eminence  near  the  cen- 
tre of  the  grounds,  about  300  feet  above  the  level  of  the 
plain.  "Behind,  tower  the  densely  wooded  hills,  1,000  feet 
in  height ;  below  lie  the  beautiful  gardens,  or  rather,  such 
glimpses  of  them  as  can  be  seen  through  the  dense  mass  of 
foliage  formed  by  innumerable  tree-tops,  while  directly  in 
front  is  the  beautiful,  verdant  Savanna,  with  its  wide  extent 
of  greensward  and  its  many  noble  trees.  It  stretches  away 
until  it  meets  the  suburbs  of  the  city — the  outlines  only — 
for  little  else  save  the  church-spires  and  the  house-tops  stand 
out  clearly  amongst  the  sea  of  foliage. 

"To  the  east  the  view  is  closed  by  a  spur  of  the  northern 
hills,  its  slopes  wooded  to  the  very  crest ;  while  to  the  west 
the  eye  rests  on  a  scene  that  is  as  picturesque  as  impressive. 
In  the  foreground  is  the  St.  Clair  pasture  and  rifle  range 
(another  green  strip  of  meadow  land),  while  beyond  are  see;i 
the  deep  blue  waters  of  the  ever  placid  Gulf  of  Paria,  with 
the  lovely  'Five  Islands'  looking  like  green  specks  on  the 
blue  expanse ;  and  far  away,  mid  the  mist  on  the  western 
horizon,  the  shadowy  outlines  of  the  Venezuelan  mountains. 
The  view  is  indeed  a  lovely  one ;  and  while  the  eye  is  now 
and  then  attracted  for  a  moment  to  the  white  wings  of 
some  passing  vessel,  or  the  smoke-curls  of  a  steamer  glid- 
ing swiftly  across  the  bit  of  blue,  yet  it  quickly  returns  to 
scan,  with  ever-increasing  delight,  the  beautiful  landscape  in 
all  its  peaceful  glory,  and  those  lovely  islets  that  form  so 
charming  a  feature  in  the  picture." 

"Rocklets  of  ocean,  so  bright  in  your  green, 
Bosomed  on   Paria's  stormless  breast, 
How  many  mem'ries  of  times  that  have  been 
Linger  around  ye,  sweet  Isles  of  the  West." 

Canon  Kingsley,  who  visited  Trinidad  a  few  years  before 
his  death,  says,  in  his  At  Last:  a  Christ  mas  in  the 
JVcst  Indies:  "This  Paradise — for  such  it  is — is  somewhat 


TRINIDAD  469 

too  far  from  the  city;  and  one  passes  in  it  few  people  save 
an  occasional  brown  nurse.  But  when  Port-of-Spain  be- 
comes, as  it  surely  will,  a  great  commercial  city,  and  the 
slopes  of  Laventille,  Belmont,  and  St.  Anne's,  just  above  the 
gardens,  are  studded  (as  they  surely  will  be)  with  the  villas 
of  rich  merchants,  then  will  the  generous  gift  of  English 
governors  be  appreciated  and  used ;  and  the  Botanic  Gar- 
dens will  become  a  Tropic  Garden  of  the  Tuileries,  alive 
at  five  o'clock  every  evening  with  human  flowers  of  every 
hue." 

The  prescient  perception  of  Kingsley  foretold  what  has 
now  come  to  pass,  for  Port-of-Spain  is  becoming  a  great 
commercial  city;  the  villas  of  its  merchant  princes  now 
adorn  the  hills  and  border  St.  Ann's  Road,  and  the  gardens 
no  longer  exist  in  solitary  state,  for  they  have  become  a  re- 
sort of  all,  both  high  and  low.  "Distance"  is  no  longer  a 
factor  to  be  reckoned  with,  since  the  "electric  tramway"  has 
devoured  it,  and  for  the  insignificant  sum  of  "twopence,"  or 
4  cents,  one  may  journey  thither  from  the  city  quickly, 
safely,  and  frequently.  Here  is  the  schedule,  as  set  forth  by 
the  "Trinidad  Electric  Company,  Limited,"  which  offers  a 
"fifteen  minutes'  service,"  as  follows: 

1.  From  the  railway  station  via  Charlotte  Street,  Par^k 
Street,  and  Tragarete  Road,  westward  to  Four  Roads.  Fare 
for  the  whole  distance,  8  cents  by  ticket  or  12  cents  cash. 

2.  From  the  railway  station  via  St.  Vincent  Street,  Park 
Street,  St.  Ann's  Road,  thence  through  Belmont.  Fare, 
4  cents  by  ticket. 

3.  From  the  railway  station  via  Frederick  Street,  then  along 
the  east  side  of  the  Savanna,  going  northward  into  St. 
Ann's   Valley.     Fare,   4  cents  by  ticket. 

4.  From  railway  station  via  Frederick  Street,  entering  the 
Savanna  and  skirting  the  southern  and  western  ends  of  it, 
as  far  as  Maraval  corner,  4  cents  by  ticket. 

5.  The  belt  route,  round  the  Savanna.  4  cents  by  ticket. 
"Tickets    are    purchasable    at    the    Transfer    Station,    Park 

Street,  and  from  car  conductors,  at  the  rate  of  6  for  24  cents. 
Passengers  travelling  without  tickets  must  pay  6  cents ;  but 
any  one  may  change  from  one  route  to  another  without  extra 
charge,    except   as    regards    the    'Belt    circuit' — to    which    no 


470  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST   INDIES 

transfer  is  allowed.  It  is  therefore  possible  to  ride  from 
Cocorite  to  Belmont,  a  distance  of  about  4  miles,  for  as 
many  cents." 

That  statement  answers  fully  the  question  of  transporta- 
tion. And  that  the  people  of  Trinidad  have  appreciated 
both  the  beauties  of  the  Queen's  Park  and  the  gardens  is 
shown  by  the  gatherings  there,  on  afternoons,  Sundays,  and 
holidays.  From  the  verandas  of  the  Queen's  Park  Hotel 
of  an  afternoon  may  be  viewed  the  many  assemblages  of 
athletic  Trinidadians,  including  the  local  golf,  cricket 
(though  the  cricket  grounds  are  nearer  the  city),  volunteer 
militia,  polo,  and  turf  clubs.  The  "human  flowers  of  every 
hue"  are  certainly  prone  now  to  gather  here,  as  Kingsley  pre- 
dicted they  w^ould,  and  they  include  such  exotics  as  East- 
Indian  coolies,  Chinese,  negroes  whose  ancestors  were  not 
long  since  residents  of  Africa;  Portuguese,  Venezuelans  and 
other  South-Americans,  Yankees,  and  "Blue-Noses."  For 
the  distance  is  no  longer  insuperable,  and  the  combined  at- 
tractions are  such  as  few  towns,  whether  insular  or  conti- 
nental, can  boast. 

A  long-felt  desideratum  for  Trinidad,  a  really  first-class 
hotel  with  salubrious  surroundings  that  would  induce  one 
to'  stay  the  season  through,  w^as  supplied  when  the  Queen's 
Park  Hotel  was  constructed.  It  overlooks  the  beautiful, 
park-like  Savanna  from  which  it  takes  its  name,  and  has 
accommodations  for  150  guests,  wuth  every  modern  im- 
provement and  luxury  at  command.  The  electric  cars  pass 
the  hotel  every  fifteen  minutes,  taking  one  to  the  wharves 
and  railway  station,  with  transfers  to  all  points  in  tow-n  and 
the  suburbs,  while  luxurious  carriages  are  always  available. 

Lest  one  might  seem  invidious,  in  speaking  of  hotels,  it 
should  be  mentioned,  at  least,  that  there  are,  in  all,  seven- 
teen in  the  city  alone,  which,  together  with  four  or  five 
boarding-houses,  furnish  ample  accommodations  for  the 
most  fastidious  tourist.  The  city  is  completely  equipped 
also  with  electric  lights,  telephones,  electric  cars  (already 
described)  and  every  "up-to-date"  contrivance  for  minister- 
ing to  the  wants  of  a  twentieth-century  community.  Cable 
connection,  by  the  "West-India  and  Panama  Telegraph 
Company,"  is  furnished  with  all  the  islands,  with  North  and 


TRINIDAD  471 

South  America,  and  with  Europe,  so  that  one  is  no  longer 
isolated  in  Trinidad,  though  he  may  have  an  insular  environ- 
ment. 

As  means  of  vvhiling  away  time  that  might  otherwise  hang 
heavily  on  one's  hands,  the  local  clubs,  some  of  them,  open 
their  doors  to  visitors  with  credentials.  Among  these  are 
the  St.  Andrews  Golf,  the  Savanna,  the  Trinidad  Polo,  the 
Union;  while  at  the  Commercial  News  Room  (to  which  visi- 
tors are  welcome  upon  introduction  by  a  member)  all  the 
latest  magazines  and  newspapers  may  be  found.  The  Neivs 
Room  adjoins  the  harbour-master's  office,  at  the  old  Bat- 
tery, King's  Wharf. 

As  an  index  of  popular  enlightenment,  Trinidad's  citizens 
can  point  to  several  excellent  new^spapers,  daily  as  well  as 
weekly.  The  first  paper  published  here  was  issued  in  1799 — 
The  Trinidad  Weekly  Courant,  which  was  subjected  to 
severe  censorship  by  the  Government ;  but  of  late  years  the 
press  has  been  absolutely  free,  and  has  progressed  accord- 
ingly. The  Port-of-Spain  Gazette,  a  six-page  penny  paper, 
has  a  very  high  standing  both  in  the  community  and  abroad, 
as  well,  and  the  same  may  be  said  of  the  Mirror,  which  is  a 
'■four-page  penny."  Other  papers  are  the  Catholic  News,  a 
w^eekly;  the  Royal  Gazette — official — a  w^eekly ;  El  Pabellon 
Venezolano,  a  bi-weekly  in  Spanish  published  for  expatriated 
Venezuelans,  who  form  a  considerable  class  in  the  commun- 
ity of  Trinidad;  the  Pioneer,  and  the  Humming  Bird,  both 
weeklies   at   a   penny   a   copy. 

Near-by  Excursions  from  Port-of-Spain.  Though  a 
month  might  be  profitably  employed  in  exploring  the  nooks 
and  corners  of  Trinidad,  yet  the  salient  features  of  the  land- 
scape and  the  places  of  historic  interest  may  be  seen  in  less 
than  a  week.  Consulting  comfort  and  convenience,  a  stay 
should  be  made  at  some  first-class  hotel  like  the  Queen's 
Park,  whence  the  island  might  be  "done"  at  one's  leisure. 
But  much  may  be  seen  during  the  tarries  of  the  steamers 
from   New  York,   Halifax,   London,   etc. 

Maraval  Reservoir.  Within  walking  distance  of  the  capi- 
tal are  several  valleys  noted  for  their  exquisite  vegetation 
and  views.  Saint  Ann's  is  one  of  them,  the  main  features 
of    which    have    already    been    described.      Another    is    the 


472  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST   INDIES 

Maraval  Valley,  with  the  reservoirs  which  supply  Port-of- 
Spain  with  purest  water.  The  natural  beauties  of  both  are 
great,  and  the  latter,  with  its  densely  wooded  hills  as  a 
background,  its  bamboos  with  feathery  foliage,  bright-hued 
crotons,  graceful  palms  and  ferns,  is  a  favorite  resort  for 
visitors,  as  well  as  intelligent  residents  who  love  "nature 
with  her  hair  combed,"  or  rendered  tractable  and  enjoyable 
by  artificial  means. 

Back  of  Maraval,  at  the  head  of  the  valley,  is  the  Silla,  or 
"Saddle,"  which  is  a  depression  in  the  ridge  of  hills  that  di- 
vides it  from  the  valley  of  Santa  Cruz;  to  visit  which,  also, 
would  not  be  going  amiss.  The  distance  to  Maraval  Reser- 
voir from  the  city  is  about  4  miles,  and  the  cab  fare  thither 
and  return  is  a  little  more  than  a  dollar,  or  4s.  3d.  The  road 
passes  through  the  Silla,  beyond  Maraval,  at  a  height  of 
630  feet,  with  beautiful  vegetation  accompanying  all  the  way. 
In  the  Santa  Cruz  Valley  are  some  of  the  largest  and  finest 
of  cacao  estates,  where  the  "chocolate  tree"  grows  to  per- 
fection, and  where  large  fortunes  are  made  from  its  culture. 

The  Blue  Basin.  Another  mountain  valley,  parallel  with 
Maraval,  though  about  double  the  distance  (9  miles)  from 
Port-of-Spain,  is  that  of  Diego  Martin,  within  which  is  the 
renowned  Blue  Basin  cascade.  The  road  thither  passes 
through  the  interesting  coolie  village  of  Woodbrook,  and 
the  scenery  is  charming,  so  it  would  be  well  taken,  even 
without  the  cascade,  which  is  one  of  the  most  picturesque 
waterfalls  in  this  island  of  springs  and  running  streams. 
Small  streamlets  high  up  in  the  mountains  unite  (join 
hands,  as  it  were)  and  together  make  the  plunge  over  a  cliff 
into  the  Blue  Basin.  It  is  so  called  because  of  the  water's 
cerulean  hue,  of  the  most  exquisite  tint  imaginable,  especially 
on  a  clear  and  cloudless  day.  Amid  its  setting  of  rare  and 
beautiful  tropical  plants,  and  hovered  over  by  gems  of  hum- 
ming-birds, the  Blue  Basin  cascade  is  a  delightful  spot  to 
visit,  to  linger  in,  but  hard  to  leave.  The  fare  to  Blue  Ba- 
sin and  b.ack,  as  decreed  by  the  authorities,  is  an  even  $5  ; 
but,  of  course,  the  driver  will  ask  more,  else  he  would  not  be 
true  to  his  profession. 

Maraccas  Waterfall.  $7  is  the  fare  to  the  famed  ]\Iaraccas 
waterfall    and    return,    the    distance    from    Port-of-Spain   by 


A  Coolie  Female,  Trinidad 


TRINIDAD  473 

road  about  13  miles;  though  the  drive  may  be  shortened 
one-half  by  taking  rail  to  St.  Joseph,  and  thence  by  carriage. 
The  Alaraccas  is  one  of  the  lovely  valleys  that  nestle  in  the 
boundary  range,  which  fends  the  capital  from  the  Caribbean 
Sea  on  the  north.  It  is  filled  with  great  cacao  estates,  for 
the  soil  is  of  exceeding  fertility;  and  on  the  journey  many 
a  fording-place  has  to  be  crossed,  for  the  rippling  brooks 
are  many,  as  well  as  delightful.  All  the  way  is  most  fasci- 
nating scenery,  of  the  tropical  kind,  while  the  forest  giants 
tower  aloft  on  every  side,  affording  secluded  hiding-places 
for  wood  sprites  and  naiads,  in  the  shape  of  gorgeous  hum- 
ming-birds, which  enliven  the  gloom  with  their  brilliance, 
and  scatter  the  silver  drops  from  their  wings,  as  they  dash 
into  the  spray  of  the  waterfalls.  In  front  of  you,  as  the  as- 
cent of  the  valley  is  made,  towers  the  highest  peak  in  the 
island,  Tucutche ;  but  when  the  basin  of  the  Chorro,  or 
cascade,  is  reached,  the  giant  is  forgotten,  for  there  before 
you  leaps  the  waterfall !  It  makes  a  sheer  plunge  of  340  feet, 
and,  with  its  half-enclosing  walls  of  rock  draped  with  tropi- 
cal plants  dripping  with  dewdrops,  is  a  most  refreshing  spec- 
tacle. 

It  seems  beyond  the  power  of  w-ords  to  paint,  for  even 
Kingsley  "shied"  at  it,  and  quoted  a  description  written 
many  years  ago  by  a  learned  botanist,  Herman  Kruger. 
This  is  rather  technical,  but  it  is  complete,  which  is  the 
excuse  for  quoting  it.  "Thousands  of  interesting  objects 
now  attract  the  a'ttention,"  he  says;  "here  the  wonderful 
nnrantca,  or  the  resplendent  calycophyllum,  a  tabernacmon- 
toiia,  or  a  farauica,  -filling  the  air  afar  the  fragrance  of 
their  blossoms;  there  a  graceful  heliconia  winking  at  you 
from  out  some  dark  ravine.  That  shrubbery  above  is  com- 
posed of  a  species  of  Boehmeria,  or  Ardisia,  and  that  scarlet 
flower  belongs  to  our  native  aphclandra.  Nearer  to  us,  and 
low  down  below  our  feet,  that  rich  panicle  of  flowers  be- 
longs to  begonia;  and  here  also  is  an  assemblage  of  ferns 
of  the  genera  asplcnium,  hymcnophyllum  and  trichomancs ; 
as  well  as  of  hcpaticcr  and  mosses.  Those  yellow  and  pur- 
ple flowers  hanging  over  our  heads  are  bignonias  and 
uuicuiios,  creepers  which  have  strayed  from  afar  to  this 
delightful   spot." 


474  A  GUIDE  TO  THE   WEST   INDIES 

And  of  the  waterfall  itself,  so  resplendently  imbedded  in 
this  floral  display,  he  says:  "Here  it  is  opposite,  a  grand 
spectacle  indeed.  From  a  perpendicular  wall  of  rock,  more 
than  300  feet  in  height,  down  rushes  a  stream  of  water, 
splitting  the  air,  and  producing  a  constant  shower,  which 
renders  this  lovely  spot  singularly  cool.  Nearly  the  whole 
extent  of  this  natural  wall  is  covered  with  plants,  among 
W'hich  you  can  easily  discern  numbers  of  flowers  and 
mosses,  two  species  of  Pitcaniia,  with  beautiful  red  flowers, 
some  avoids,  various  nettles,  and  here  and  there  a  begonia 
growing  in  the  midst  of  a  never-failing  drizzle.  .  .  .  The 
water  here  is  absolutely  colourless — pure,  limpid,  and  un- 
stained, which  splashes  merrily  at  your  feet,  and  flies 
daintily,  all  refined  into  spray,  into  your  face,  as  you  scram- 
ble up  the  wet  rocks  and  front  the  whispering  Naiad 
shrouded  behind  her  long   white  veil." 

EXCURSIONS  BY   RAIL 

St.  Joseph  and  Arima.  There  are  more  than  a  thousand 
miles  of  roads  in  Trinidad :  macadamised  streets  and  high- 
ways, bridle-paths  and  trails,  by  which  every  portion  of  the 
island  interesting  to  the  traveller,  or  valuable  to  agriculturist 
and  commercial  man,  can  be  reached. 

The  railway  system  is  not  so  complete  as  might  be  de- 
sired, but  it  is  "good  as  far  as  it  goes,"  and  is,  owned  by  the 
Government.  At  present  it  is  but  50  miles  or  so  in  length. 
but,  shaped  like  the  letter  Y,  it  traverses  a  very  fertile 
country.  Its  charges  are  high,  as  compared  with  railroads 
in  the  United  States  and  Europe.  Fares,  distances,  and  the 
towns  it  reaches,  are  given  in  the  table  opposite : 


TRINIDAD 


475 


RAILWAY  FARES 
Between  Pokt-of-Spain  and  all  Stations 


BEIWEEN 
PORT-OF-SPAINand 


-Return  TICKb:T^ 


-Single  Tickets- 


San  Juan   *4 

St.   Joseph    7 

Tunapuna     9 

Tacarigua     10 

Arouca     12 

Dabadie    14 

Arima    16 

Guanapo    19 

Cumiito    2^ 

Guaico    28 

Sangre  Grande     29 

Caroni     11 

Cunupia    14 

Jerningham  Junction  15 

Longdenville       18 

Todd's  Road   21 

*Caparo    23 

*Brasso    Caparo    .  .  .2"] 

Tabaquite     30 

Chaguanas    18 

Carapichaima    21 

Couva    25 

California    27 

Claxton  Bay   30 

Pointe-a-Pierre. .  .     32 

San  Fernando   35 

Union    35 

Reform    };] 

Williamsville     39 

Princes   Town    43 


Dis-        ist 
lances   Class 
Miles     $     c. 

o  36 
o  63 
o  81 

0  90 

1  08 

I  26 

I  44 

I  71 

07 

42 

46 


2 
2 
2 

0  99 

1  26 

I  35 
I  62 

1  89 

2  07 
2  35 
2  52 
I  62 

1  89 

2  25 
2  35 
■2  52 
2  63 
2  79 
2  79 

2  90 

3  00 
3  23 


2d 
Class 
$  c. 

0  24 
0  42 

o  54 
o  60 

0  'j2 

o  84 

0  96 

1  14 

1 38 
1 58 
I  61 

0  66 
o  84 

0  90 

1  08 

I  26 

1 38 

I  55 
I  62 
I  08 
I  26 
I  50 
I  55 
I  62 
I  67 
I  74 
I  74 
I  79 
I  85 
I  94 


3d 
Class 

$     c. 

O    12 

O   21 

0  27 
o  30 
o  36 
0  42 
o  48 
o  57 
o  69 
o  83 
o  84 
o  ZZ 


0  42 
o  45 
o  54 
o  63 
o  69 
o  80 
o  86 

o  54 
o  63 
o  75 
o  80 
0  86 
o  90 
0  97 

0  97 

1  02 
I  06 
I   14 


Class 
$     c. 

0  24 
o  42 

o  54 
o  60 
o  72 
o  84 

96 

14 

38 
61 

64 

66 
84 


o  90 
08 
26 
38 
57 
68 
08 
26 
50 
57 
68 
75 
86 
86 

93 
00 

15 


2d 

Class 
$     c. 

o  16 
o  28 
o  36 

40 

48 
56 
64 
76 

92 

05 
07 

44 
56 
60 

72 

84 
92 

03 
08 
72 


o  84 

00 

03 
08 

II 

16 
16 
19 
23, 
29 


3d 
Class 

$     c. 

o  08 

14 
18 
20 
24 
28 
32 


o  38 

o  46 

o  55 

o  56 

o  22 

28 

30 

36 

42 

46 

53 

57 

36 


o  42 
o  50 
53 
57 
60 

65 
65 
68 
0  70 
0  76 


St.  Joseph,  Founded  1584.  Leaving  the  railway  wharf  in 
Port-of-Spain,  the  road  strikes  due  east,  the  first  town  of 
importance  on  the  line  being  St.  Joseph,  the  oldest  settle- 
ment in  the  island,  founded  by  Spaniards  in  1584.  from 
whom  it  was  captured  by  Sir  Walter  Raleigh,  in  1595.  It 
is  not  so  interesting  a  place  that  the  tourist  would  care  to 
linger  long.  The  residence-house  of  the  Valsayn  estate  here, 
still  standing,  contains  re'ics  of  the  old  Spanish  times,  and 
in  its  drawing-room  the  treaty  of  capitulation  between  Don 


476  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST   INDIES 

Chacon  and  Abercromby  was  signed,  in  1797.  Raleigh  and 
his  men,  landing  from  boats  in  which  th^y  had  come  up 
the  Caroni  River,  marched  through  the  Valsayn  orchards 
(tradition  says)  when  on  their  way  to  fire  the  town.  These 
orchards  are  filled  with  tropical  fruit-trees,  including  many 
exotics  from  India  and  other  quarters  of  the  globe.  The 
old  cemetery  here  will  interest  the  antiquarian,  as  it  has 
quaint  tombstones  of  the  Spanish  period,  and  the  Roman 
Catholic  church  contains  fine  windows  and  a  marble  altar 
imported  from  Europe.  In  connection  with  this  church  is 
the  oldest  society  in  the  island,  that  of  the  Santissima  Her- 
fiianidad,  which  has  preserved  records  since  its  foundation, 
in  1644. 

Caura  Valley  and  Waterfall.  We  are  now  in  the  country 
of  sugar-cane,  the  vast  estates  and  works  connected  with 
which  are  well  worthy  inspection.  The  railway  line  to 
the  south  branches  off  at  St.  Joseph;  but  we  will  continue 
due  east,  toward  its  termination  at  Arima.  All  the  way 
along  we  could  not  but  have  perceived  and  admired  the 
numerous  lateral  valleys,  such  as  Santa  Cruz  and  Caura, 
which  descend  from  the  mountains  on  the  north,  or  left-hand 
side  of  the  railway. 

"To  come  to  the  island  on  pleasure  and  stay  any  length 
of  time  without  taking  a  ride  up  Caura  Valley  would  be 
a  downright  sin,"  says  the  author  of  an  excellent  Guide  to 
Trinidad,  Mr.  J.  H.  Collens.  The  trail  up  this  delicious  val- 
ley is  taken  at  the  estate  of  El  Dorado,  from  which  runs  a 
bridle-path,  some  7  miles  in  length,  succeeded  by  a  foot- 
path for  a  mile  and  a  quarter  through  the  virgin  forest.  At 
the  end  of  this  toilsome  journey  you  are  richly  rewarded,  for 
there  bursts  into  sight  a  splendid  cascade,  more  than  300  feet 
in  height,  of  a  greater  volume  than  that  of  Maraccas  (which 
is  seen  at  its  best  only  in  the  rainy  season)  and  forming  a 
beautiful    basin    at    its    foot    of    clear,    cold    water. 

The  succeeding  stations,  Tttnapuna,  Tacarigna,  and  Arouca, 
remind  us  of  the  departed  Indians,  for  they  are  all  aborigi- 
nal names,  the  bestowers  of  which  were  gradually  driven 
from  the  west  coast  eastward,  until  their  final  stand  was 
made  on  the  heights  of  Arima.  There  they  long  resided 
in  "missions,"  presided  over  by  Spanish  officials,  each  head 


TRINIDAD  477 

of  a  family  owning  a  conuco,  or  small  plantation.  Annually 
on  August  29th,  they  held  a  fete  day,  that  of  Santa  Rosa, 
which  attracted  to  Arima  the  inhabitants  of  the  country  for 
many  miles  around. 

Arima  is  in  the  fertile  cacao  country,  sugar  estates  having 
given  way  to  the  more  attractive  plantations  containing  trees 
adorned  by  nature  with  their  peculiar  fruit,  growing  as  well 
upon  the  trunks  as  on  the  branches.  Cacao  cultivation  may 
bt  studied  here,  and  the  process  of  curing  the  beans  and  pre- 
paring them  for  the  market.  Beyond  Arima  is  a  most  in- 
teresting country,  the  fascinating  East  Coast  being  reached 
from  this  point  over  a  road  and  trail,  to  which  allusion  will 
be  made  further  on. 

Alligator  Shooting.  We  will  now  return  to  the  southern 
branch  of  the  railway — or  rather,  the  main  line,  which,  after 
diverging  between  St.  Joseph  and  Tunapuna.  crosses  the 
Caroni.  This  river  is  noted  for  its  facilities  for  shooting 
such  "game"  as  alligator;  wild  duck,  heron,  and  other 
aquatic  fowl  being  very  abundant,  as  also  those  peculiar  fish 
encased  in  armour,  the  cascaduras.  It  is  the  custom  of 
hunters,  in  order  to  save  themselves  an  uninteresting  water- 
journey,  to  send  their  boats  around  from  the  Capital,  to  the 
great  iron  bridge,  or  the  nearby  estate  of  McLeod  Plain, 
where  their  guides  await  them.  Such  sport  as  they  obtain 
needs  be  experienced  to  be  appreciated,  and  is  well  de- 
scribed in  the  beautiful  Book  of  Trinidad,  recently  issued, 
under  the  heading  "A  Day's  Sport  on  the  Caroni."  Iguanas 
and  boa  constrictors  haunt  the  mangroves  bordering  the 
Caroni,  and  exciting  adventures  may  be  in  store  for  one 
who  takes  this  hunting  trip,  almost  within  sight  of  the  Gulf 
of  Paria. 

Estuary  of  the  Caroni.  "The  estuary  of  the  Caroni  is 
almost  imperceptible  to  the  stranger,  owing  to  the  many 
bends  in  the  river  and  the  long  stretch  of  mangrove  swamp 
through  which  it  meanders,  presenting  an  almost  unbroken 
coast  line  for  many  miles.  It  is,  however,  sufficiently  well 
marked  out  to  the  boatmen,  who  take  shooting  parties  thither, 
and  to  the  mangrove  woodsman,  whose  search  for  daily  bread 
induces  him  to  pass  half  his  days  in  the  swamps,  cutting 
firewood    and    making   charcoal,    indispensable   to    Trinidad 


478  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST  INDIES 

kitchens.  These  people  steer  by  the  marks  afforded  by  the 
mud-stained  logs  and  tree-trunks,  the  bare  and  weather- 
beaten  branches  of  which  afford  comfortable  resting-places 
to  gull  and  pelican  when   gorged  with   fish." 

South  to  San  Fernando.  ]\Iany  rivers  are  passed  on  the 
way  south  to  San  Fernando,  all  with  Indian  names,  such 
as  Caparo,  Couva,  Guaracaro,  and  all  affording  good  sport 
for  the  hunter  and  fisherman.  In  the  forests  back  of  Cara- 
pichaima.  rumour  hath  it,  there  is  an  immense  herd  of  wild 
cattle ;  noble  beasts,  but  wary,  which  stampede,  however,  at 
the  first  sign  of  a  hunter.  The  great  woods  are  attractive, 
but  the  scenery  along  the  line  is  not  altogether  so,  though 
the  sugar  estates  oft'er  opportunities  for  an  examination  into 
one  of  Trinidad's  resources.  At  Dabadie  are  extensive  palm 
nurseries ;  at  Couva  a  highway  branches  off  to  the  fertile 
cacao  region  of  Montserrate,  the  picturesque  hills  of  which  lie 
to  the  east  of  the  railway.  Where  they  come  down  to  the 
Gulf  the  railroad  passes  through  a  deep  cutting  a  quarter  of 
a  mile  in  length,  and  at  Marbella  Junction  passengers  change 
cars  for  the  branch  to  Princes  Town.  Not  far  from  Claxton 
Bay,  on  the  Plaisance  estate,  is  a  group  of  thermal  springs, 
which  pour  forth  water  at  a  temperature  of  ioo°  F. 

The  town  of  San  Fernando  de  Naparima  was  founded  in 
1792,  five  years  before  the  British  occupation.  It  is  situated 
on  a  large  .but  shallow  bay,  and  is  the  centre  of  Trinidad's 
most  important  sugar  territory,  which  ships  its  produce  from 
the  port.  The  bay  was  visited  by  Sir  Walter  Raleigh  on 
his  way  from  the  Serpent's  Mouth  to  St.  Joseph,  and  is  said 
to  have  been  named  by  him  after  the  range  of  hills  called 
by  the  Indians  Naparima. 

Mud  Volcanoes  of  Princes  Town.  While  San  Fernando 
presents  but  few  interesting  features  to  the  visitor  worth  the 
journey  to  inspect,  it  opens  the  way  to  a  country  which 
would  repay  examination  by  naturalist  or  explorer.  Seven 
miles  to  the  east  of  this  place  lies  the  enterprising  settlement 
of  Princes  Town,  which  name,  with  questionable  taste,  its 
inhabitants  bestowed  in  1880,  in  honour  of  a  visit  from  Prince 
Albert  and  Prince  George,  of  England.  Its  former  name 
was  Savanna  Grande,  or  the  large  savanna,  and  was  appro- 
priate.   It  has  a  population  of  above  4,000 — a  little  more  than 


TRTXrDAD  479 

half  that  of  San  Fernando,  which  is  7,600.  Between  the  two 
towns  there  is  both  rail  and  tramway  communication,  and 
two  main  roads  available.  The  many  sugar  estates  in  this 
region  find  their  common  outlet  (if  it  may  be  so  termed) 
in  the  great  central  factory,  or  tisiiic,  of  St.  Madeleine,  the 
largest  in  the  West  Indies,  and  which  is  capable  of  turning 
out   15,000  tons  of  sugar  annually. 

Distances  from  San  Fernando  to 

Miles  I  Miles 

Pitch  Lake i5V2!Mud  Volcanoes  ti 

Mayaro        by        Savanna  La  Brca,  by  sea 11 

Grande  42       Guapo,  by  sea 18 

Police     Station,     Princes  Cap-de-Ville,  by  sea 23 

Town  jYi  '  Cedros,  by  sea   31 

The  Devil's  Woodyard.  The  chief  attraction  of  Princes 
Town  consists  in  a  group  of  "mud  volcanoes,"  at  a  little 
distance  from  the  settlement,  to  reach  which  a  guide  is  neces- 
sary, and  may  be  obtained  for  a  few  shillings.  The  negroes 
call  the  devastated  area,  in  which  lie  the  dry  and  bleached 
branches  and  trunks  of  trees,  the  "Devil's  Woodyard,"  and 
are  shy  about  visiting  its  vicinity  after  dark,  on  account  of 
the  "jombies,"  or  evil  spirits,  which  are  supposed  to  haunt  it. 
There  was  a  volcanic  eruption  here  as  late  as  1887,  after 
which  what  was  formerly  merely  a  "flat  and  bare  mud  circle 
of  about  a  hundred  yards  in  diameter"  was  dotted  with  mud 
mounds,  or  tiny  craters,  about  3  feet  in  height,  from  which 
ooze  streams  of  muddy  water  with  a  strong  odour  of  asphalt. 
As  it  is  not  far  distant  from  the  great  Pitch  Lake,  there 
is  supposed,  of  course,  to  be  subterranean  connection  between 
the  latter  and  the  mud  volcanoes. 

Stretching  southward  from  the  hill  ranges  back  of  Savanna 
Grande  is  the  Oropuche  region,  filled  with  swamp  and  forest, 
"teeming  with  game  and  rich  with  tropical  vegetation."  East- 
ward from  IMonkey  Town  extends  a  rough  road,  the  "Mayaro 
Trace,"  which  runs  to  Mayaro  Bay,  on  the  Atlantic  coast,  and 
offers  vast  possibilities  to  the  botanist,  ornithologist,  and 
lover  of  nature  in  general.  In  fact,  there  is  no  island  of  the 
West  Indies,  perhaps,  which  can  hold  out  so  many  entice- 
ments in  this  respect. 

The  High  Woods  and  East  Coast.     Though  the  ordinary 


48o  A  GUIDE  TO   THE   WEST   INDIES 

tourist  does  not  care  to  "rough  it"  in  the  tropics,  especially 
in  a  land  where  fevers  lie  in  wait  for  unwary  visitors  who 
chance  to  be  exposed  to  night  air  and  rains,  and  where  the 
damp  woods  are  haunts  of  noxious  insects,  snakes  that  kill 
by  their  venorn,  and  boas  that  crush  with  mighty  coils  of 
their  30-foot  bodies,  yet  some  there  may  be  who  would 
like  a  taste  of  adventure  in  the  forests.  The  grett  forests 
are  called  the  "High  Woods"  probably  because  of  the  high 
trees  (and  they  are  high,  of  a  height  undreamed  of  by  dwell- 
ers in  northern  climes),  which  generally  cover  the  crests 
and  slopes  of  hills  or  mountains. 

There  are  yet  bodies  of  the  forest  primeval  in  Trinidad, 
and  quite  accessible,  too,  into  which  those  so  inclined  may 
peep,  even  if  they  do  not  wish  to  explore.  The  most  ac- 
cessible bodies  are  on  and  among  the  ]\Iontserrate  Hills,  to 
the  north  and  east  of  San  Fernando,  and  in  the  northern 
mountain  range.  As  one  example  will  probably  suffice,  let 
it  be  obtained  by  a  trip  from  Arima,  at  the  eastern  end  of 
the  railway.  Some  one  has  advised  the  purchase  of  horse  and 
vehicle,  if  one  desires  to  tarry  long  in  Trinidad,  as  a  "rig" 
may  be  obtained  at  a  fairly  low  price,  and  easily  sold  again 
after  the  journeys  are  over.  But  whether  this  advice  is  fol- 
lowed or  not,  you  can  hire  horses  for  a  trip  or  trips  in 
Port-of-Spain — though  a  mule  might  be  preferable — and  ship 
the  beast  or  beasts  in  a  "horse  truck"  over  the  railway,  at  a 
cost  of  5  or  6  shillings  each,  to  Arima,  whence  a  "trace" 
leads  away  eastward  to  the  Atlantic  shore. 

The  Indians  were  the  original  openers  of  these  forest  trails 
and  traces,  it  is  said,  and  one  exists,  as  mentioned,  between 
Savanna  Grande,  or  Monkey  Town,  in  the  southwest,  to 
Mayaro  Bay,  on  the  Atlantic.  Over  this  trail  (if  we  may 
be  pardoned  a  digression)  the  Indians  from  the  Main  used 
to  travel  until  forty  or  fifty  years  ago,  tradition  says.  At 
certain  seasons  of  the  year  they  came  over  in  boatloads,  naked 
men,  women  and  children,  and  landing  near  San  Fernando, 
plunged  into  the  forest,  where  they  subsisted  for  weeks  upon 
the  fruits  of  trees  they  themselves  only  knew  the  where- 
abouts of.  Then,  satiated  with  the  fruits  they  had  come 
so  far  to  procure,  they  took  to  their  canoes  again  and 
disappeared  in  the  mists  of  the  great  and  solitary  Gulf. 


TRINIDAD  481 

Arima  to  the  "Cocal."  From  Arima  all  the  way  to  the 
east  coast,  a  matter  of  between  20  and  25  miles,  you  will 
have  a  magnificence  of  scenery  for  which  any  amount  of 
"roughing  it"  would  not  be  too  high  a  price  to  pay.  A  guide 
as  well  as  horses  should  be  t^ken,  for  though  the  "trace" 
is  broad,  and  in  the  dry  season  open  enough,  still,  there 
are  rivers  to  cross  and  perhaps  fallen  trees  to  get  around, 
which,  with  their  bewildering  wealth  of  vines  and  air  plants, 
orchids,  and  lianas  (forming  an  entire  forest  of  themselves), 
may  divert  the  unwary  from  the  trail.  And  once  astray  in 
those  vast  and  gloomy  High  Woods  none  but  a  woodsman 
could  rescue  one  not  to  the  manner  born.  Few  are  the  pens 
gifted  enough  to  describe  the  wealth  of  vegetation  one  sees 
in  these  forests.  Such  men  as  Humboldt,  perhaps;  Bates, 
of  Amazon  fame,  and  Charles  Kingsley  have  made  attempts 
at  complete  descriptions;  but  even  these  masters  of  technical 
language  have  failed  to  convey  pictures  that  can  only  be 
sensed  through  personal  observation  or  imaged  by  the  camera. 

Trinidad's  Classic.  The  classic  work  on  Trinidad  is 
Canon  Kingsley's  At  Last,  and  the  best  part  of  that  wonder- 
ful book  is  that  containing  his  descriptions  of  the  High 
Woods  and  wild  nature  generally.  No  one  has  approached 
his  work  in  this  direction,  and  hence  we  may  be  pardoned, 
presumably,  for  quoting  from  it,  in  lieu  of  attempting  what 
to  the  ordinary  author  might  be  beyond  his  capabilities.' 

"My  first  feeling  on  entering  the  High  Woods,"  he  says, 
"was  one  of  helplessness,  confusion,  awe,  all  but  terror. 
One  is  afraid  at  first  to  venture  50  yards.  Without  a  com- 
pass or  the  landmark  of  some  opening  to  or  from  which 
he  can  look,  a  man  must  be  lost  in  the  first  ten  minutes, 
such  a  sameness  is  there  in  the  infinite  variety.  That  same- 
ness and  variety  make  it  impossible  to  give  any  general 
sketch  of  the  forest.  Once  inside,  'you  cannot  see  the  wood 
for  the  trees.'  You  can  only  wander  as  far  as  you  dare, 
letting  each  object  impress  itself  on  your  mind  as  it  may, 
and  carrying  away  a  confused  recollection  of  innumerable 
perpendicular  lines,  all  straining  upward,  in  fierce  competi- 
tion, toward  that  light  food  far  above ;  and.  next,  of  a  green 
cloud,  or  rather  mist,  which  hovers  round  your  head  and 
rises,    thickening    and    thickening,    to    an    unknown    height. 


482  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST   INDIES 

The  upward  lines  are  of  every  possible  thickness  and  of 
almost  every  possible  hue;  what  leaves  they  bear,  being 
for  the  most  part  on  the  tips  of  the  twigs,  give  a  scattered, 
mist-like  appearance  to  the  under-foliage.  For  the  first 
moment,  therefore,  the  forest  seems  more  open  than  an 
English  wood.  But  try  to  walk  through  it  and  ten  steps 
undeceive  you.    .    .    . 

"You  look  up  and  around,  and  then  you  find  that  the  air 
is  full  of  wires — that  you  are  hung  up  in  a  network  of  fine 
branches,  belonging  to  half  a  dozen  different  sorts  of  young 
trees,  and  intertwined  with  as  many  different  species  of 
slender  creepers.  You  thought  at  your  first  glance  among 
the  tree-stems  that  you  were  looking  through  open  air ;  you 
find  that  you  are  looking  through  a  labyrinth  of  wire  rigging, 
and  must  use  the  cutlass  at  every  five  steps.  .  .  .  Stopped 
suddenly  by  a  grey,  lichen-covered  bar  as  thick  as  your 
ankle,  you  follow  it  up  with  your  eyes,  and  find  it  entwines 
itself  with  three  or  four  other  bars  and  rolls  over  them  in 
great  knots  and  festoons  and  loops  20  feet  high,  and  then 
goes  up  with  them  into  the  green  cloud  over  your  head 
and  vanishes,  as  if  a  giant  had  thrown  a  ship's  cable  into 
the  tree-tops.  One  of  them,  so  grand  that  its  form  strikes 
even  the  negro  and  the  Indian,  is  a  liantesse.  You  see  that 
at  once  by  the  form  of  its  cable,  6  or  8  inches  across  in  one 
direction  and  3  or  4  in  another,  furbelowed  all  down  the 
middle  into  regular  knots,  and  looking  like  a  chain-cable 
between  two  flexible  iron  bars. 

"At  another  of  the  loops,  about  as  thick  as  your  arm,  your 
companion,  if  you  have  a  forester  with  you,  will  spring 
joyfully.  With  a  few  blows  of  his  cutlass  he  will  sever  it 
as  high  as  he  can  reach,  and  again  below,  some  3  feet  down; 
and  while  you  are  wondering  at  this  seemingly  wanton  de- 
struction, he  lifts  the  bar  on  high,  throws  his  head  back, 
and  pours  down  his  thirsty  throat  a  pint  or  more  of  pure, 
cold  water.  This  hidden  treasure  is,  strange  as  it  may  seem, 
the  ascending  sap,  or,  rather,  the  ascending  pure  rain-water, 
which  has  been  taken  up  by  the  roots  and  is  hurrying  aloft, 
to  be  elaborated  into  sap  and  leaf  and  flower  and  fruit  and 
fresh  tissue  for  the  very  stem  up  which  it  originally  climbed. 
Therefore  it  is  that  the  woodman  cuts  the  water-vine  through 


TRINIDAD  483 

first  at  the  top  of  the  piece  which  he  wants  and  not  at  the 
bottom;  for  so  rapid  is  the  ascent  of  the  sap  that  if  he  cut 
the  stem  below,  the  water  would  have  all  fled  upwards  before 
he  could  have  cut  it  off  above. 

"^Meanwhile,  the  old  story  of  'Jack  and  the  Bean-stalk' 
comes  into  your  mind.  In  such  forest  was  the  old  dame's 
hut,  and  up  such  a  'bean-stalk'  Jack  climbed,  to  find  a 
giant  and  a  castle  high  above.  Why  not?  What  may  not 
be  up  there?  You  look  up  into  the  green  cloud  and  long 
for  a  moment  to  be  a  monkej'.  There  may  be  monkeys 
up  there  over  your  head,  burly  red  howlers  or  tiny,  peevish 
sapajou,  peering  down  at  you;  but  you  cannot  peer  up  at 
them.  The  monkeys  and  the  parrots  and  the  humming-birds 
and  the  flowers  and  all  the  beauty  are  upstairs,  up  above 
the  green  cloud.  You  are  in  the  'empty  nave  of  the 
cathedral,'  and  the  service  is  being  celebrated  aloft  in  the 
blazing  roof." 

In  such  manner  raves  the  naturalist,  who  sees  10,000  rare 
and  beautiful  objects,  which  are  missed  by  the  ordinary 
observer.  We  have  not  time  to  examine  them  all,  for  it 
would  take  almost  a  lifetime  to  do  so.  But  stay;  let  us 
take  one  other  look  through  the  eyes  of  this  acute  .observer. 
It  is  in  the  Northern  Mountains,  of  w-hich  he  says :  '*No 
words  of  mine  can  give  an  adequate  picture  of  the  beauty 
of  the  streams  and  glens  which  run  down  from  their  slopes 
on  either  side.  The  reader  must  fancy  for  himself  the 
loveliest  brook  he  ever  saw — crystal  clear,  bedded  with  grey 
pebbles,  broken  into  rapids  by  ro.ck-ledges  or  great  white 
quartz  bowlders,  swirling  under  steep  cliffs,  winding  through 
fiats  of  natural  meadow  and  copse.  Then  let  him  transport  his 
stream  into  the  great  palm-house  at  Kcw,  stretch  out  the 
house,  up  hill  and  down  dale,  5  miles  in  length  and  2.000 
feet  in  height ;  pour  down  upon  it  from  above  a  blaze  which 
lights  up  every  leaf  into  a  gem  and  deepens  every  shadow 
into  blackness  and  yet  that  very  blackness  full  of  inner 
light — and  if  his  fancy  can  do  as  much  as  that,  he  can 
imagine  to  himself  the  stream  up  which  wc  rode  .or 
walked,  now  w^inding  along  a  narrow  track  a  hundred 
feet  or  two  above,  looking  down  on  the  upper  surface 
of    the    forest,    on    the    crests    of    palms    and    the    broad 


484  A  GUIDE  TO   THE  WEST   INDIES 

sheets  of  the  balisier  copse,  and  often  on  the  statelier  fronds 
of  true  bananas,  which  had  run  wild  along  the  stream-side, 
flowering  and  fruiting  in  the  wilderness  for  the  benefit  of 
the  parrots  and  agutis  (wild  hares)  ;  or  on  the  huge  clumps  of 
bamboo,  which  (probably  not  indigenous  to  the  island)  h^ve 
in  like  manner  spread  themselves  along  all  the  streams  in  the 
lapse  of  ages." 

Cocoa-Palms  of  the  Atlantic  Coast.  Such  is  the  scenery 
along  the  "trace'"  between  Arima  and  the  Atlantic  coast 
of  Trinidad.  Once  there,  the  visitor  sees  a  different  phase 
of  nature's  handiwork,  for  the  sand-beach,  upon  which  beat 
the  Atlantic  surges  perpetually,  is  lined  with  cocoa-palms, 
in  one  single  stretch  i6  miles  of  them ;  and  here  is  opened 
up  another  natural  industry  of  the  island,  for  millions  and 
millions  of  nuts  are  shipped  from  ]\Iayaro  Bay,  where  is  the 
only  safe  harbour  of  the  eastern  coast.  These  palms  are 
said  to  have  sprung  from  nuts  cast  ashore  b}^  the  wrecking 
of  an  East  Indiaman  200  years  ago ;  and  now,  as  in  aboriginal 
times,  the  planters  here  gain  a  good  living  from  the  natural 
produce  of  the  soil. 

It  is  a  wild  country,  swampy  and  forest  covered,  that 
of  the  east  coast,  and  here,  if  anywhere,  the  hunter's  para- 
dise on  earth  may  be  found,  for  in  the  lagoons  and  bayous 
dwell  huge  caimans,  or  man-eating  alligators;  manati,  or 
sea-cows ;  boa  constrictors  and  anacondas,  sometimes  30  feet 
in  length,  while  the  waters  swarm  with  fish  that  are  edible 
as  well  as  fiercely  carnivorous. 

EXCURSIONS  BY  WATER 

]\Iany  an  excursion  by  water  may  be  made  from  Port-of- 
Spain,  for  the  Gulf  of  Paria  is  generally  smooth  and  tran- 
quil and  its  shores  are  dotted  with  most  interesting  places. 
These  excursions  may  be  long  or  short — to  the  islands  that 
lie  within  sight  of  the  city  or  extended  to  the  magnitude 
of  real  voyages,  as  up  the  mighty  Orinoco  or  along  the 
north  coast  of  Venezuela;  to  the  Pearl  Islands,  La  Guayra, 
Puerto  Cabello  and  Curagao. 

A  Trip  to  the  Bocas.  There  are  several  rocky  islets  be- 
tween the  capital  and  the  Caribbean  Sea,  the  nearest  being 
the  "Five  Islands,"  due  west  of  the  wharves,  where  vessels 


TRINIDAD  48s 

coming  from  infected  ports  are  quarantined.  Beyond  these 
are  the  Bocas  (Spanish  for  mouths  or  entrance-ways),  the 
largest  of  which,  Boca  Grande,  or  Drago — the  Dragon — 
gives  ingress  from  the  Caribbean,  and  is  the  one  through 
which  Christopher  Columbus  made  his  way  out,  in  the  year 
1498.  These  waterways  separate  several  beautiful  islands, 
where  the  scenery  is  most  quaint,  great  water-worn  cliffs 
standing  with  their  feet  in  a  tranquil  sea,  sand-beaches,  shell 
strewn,  overhung  with  tropical  vines,  shrubs  and  trees,  and 
caves  inhabited  by  vampire  bats  and  sea  birds.  On  the  way 
to  the  Bocas  a  stop  is  made  at  Carreras,  at  the  entrance 
to  Chaguaramas  Bay,  a  deep  and  protected  harbour  filled 
with  wrecks  of  ancient  war  and  treasure  ships  (local  legends 
have  it),  to  raise  or  explore  which  would  be  likely  to  reward 
an  energetic  diver  with  vast  amounts  of  gold  and  silver. 

The  first  islet  that  has  shores  on  both  the  Gulf  and 
Caribbean  is  Monos,  or  ]Monkey  Island,  which,  together 'with 
the  next  in  line,  Huevos,  or  Egg  Island,  belongs  to  the  bor- 
ough council  of  the  capital.  There  are  houses  for  rent  on 
both  islands,  as  well  as  on  Chacachacare,  the  outermost  of 
the  trio,  which  protrudes  into  the  Boca  Grande.  One  might 
do  worse  than  tarry  here  a  while,  where  the  smooth  sand- 
beaches  offer  pleasant  bathing-places,  the  bays  within  the 
Gulf  having  still  water  and  those  without  the  most  rollicking 
of  surfs.  The  waters,  too,  are  alive  with  fish,  of  tropical 
beauty  and  abundance,  and  the  air  is  somewhat  cooler  than 
in  steaming  Port-of-Spain.  This  is  speaking  relatively ;  but 
as  to  scenery  one  may  utter  the  positive  dictum  that  it  is 
superlative ! 

Cave  of  the  Guacharos.  On  Huevos  is  a  celebrated  cave, 
entrance  to  which  can  only  be  made  when  the  sea  is  smooth. 
as  the  rocks  come  down  so  near  its  surface.  Once  within, 
the  visitor  might  imagine  himself  in  an  inferno,  for  the 
cave  will  be  filled  with  wild  cries  and  the  whirring  of  in- 
numerable wings,  as  its  inhabitants  are  startled  from  their 
roosting-places.  These  inhabitants  are  those  very  rare 
Guacharos,  locally  known  as  Diablotin.  or  Devil-birds 
(Stcatoniis  caripcnsis) ,  a  species  of  goatsucker.  The  gour- 
mands of  Trinidad  esteem  it  as  a  great  ban  houche,  though 
it  is  so  extremely  fat  that  the  natives  of  Paria  seek  it  out 


486  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST   INDIES 

for  the  oil  it  contains,  which  they  use  as  butter.  By  draw- 
ing a  wick  through  the  bird,  it  is  said,  it  can  be  used  as  a 
candle  or  torch.  At  any  rate,  the  Guacharo  is  a  weird  bird 
alive  as  well  as  a  useful  one  when  dead,  and  is  avidly  sought, 
both  by  natives  and  naturalists.  There  are  other  caves  in 
this  vicinity  occupied  by  both  vampire  and  piscatorial  bats, 
which  are  numerous  at  night  above  the  surface  of  the  sea. 

GULF  STEAMERS'  ITINERARY 
Islands  and  Bocas  Service 


Monday 


Leave  Port-of-Spain  4.00  a.m. 
Leave  Chacachacare  6.00  a.m. 
Arrive  Port-of-Spain  8.25  a.m. 


Leave  Port-of-Spain  12.15  p.m. 

Arrive  Monos 2.00  p.m. 

Leave  Monos 2.10  p.m. 

Arrive  Port-of-Spain  4.00  p.m. 

Wednesday 
Leave  Port-of-Spain   9.30  a.m.  I  Leave  Chacachacare   1.15  p.m. 
Arrive  Chacachacare   .  .  Noon  '  Arrive  Port-of-Spain  4.00  p.m. 

Friday 
Leave  Port-of-Spain  4.00  p.m.  |  Arrive  Chacachacare  6.00  p.m. 


Saturday 


Leave  Chacachacare  6.00  a.m. 
Arrive  Port-of-Spain  8.15  a.m. 
Leave  Port-of-Spain  9.30  a.m. 

Leave   Monos    11.35  a.m. 

Arrive  Port-of-Spain  i. 00  p.m. 


Leave  Port-of-Spain  2.00  p.m. 
Arrive  Chacachacare  4.00  p.m. 
Leave  Chacachacare  4.10  p.m. 
Arrive  Port-of-Spain  6.45  p.m. 


Fares 


STATIONS 

Cabin 

Steerage 

Single 

Return 

Single 

Return 

Port-of-Spain  to  Five  Islands.. 

Port-of-Spain  to  Gasparee 

Port-of-Spain  to  Monos    

Port-of-Spain  to  Chacachacare. 

S.     D. 

1  8 

2  6 

3  3 

4  0 

S.   D. 

2  6 

3  9 

5  0 

6  3 

S.   D. 
10 

I     3 

1  8 

2  I 

S.    D. 

1  3 

2  6 

3  iK 

On  Wednesdays  and  Saturdays  excursion  return  cabin 
tickets  will  be  issued  at  single  fares  available  for  the  day 
only. 


TRINIDAD  487 

Fares  to  intermediate  stations  not  scheduled  will  be  charged 
as  for  the  next  fixed  stopping  place. 
Children  under  twelve  years  half  fare. 

Bathing  and  Fishing.  The  finest  fishing,  for  tarpon, 
mackerel,  etc.,  is  at  Macqueripe  Bay,  where  boats  and  tackle 
can  be  hired,  and  where,  also,  there  is  most  delightful  surf- 
bathing,  as  the  bay  is  on  the  Caribbean  shore  of  Trinidad, 
not  far  from  the  Alonos  Boca.  Perhaps  the  most  interesting 
of  the  Bocas  Islands  is  Chacachacare,  which  is  shaped  like 
a  horseshoe,  enclosing  a  placid  bay,  where  all  sorts  of 
marine  curiosities  are  to  be  found.  There  is  a  sanatorium 
here,  also  good  houses  to  hire,  and  fish  are  so  abundant  that 
they  can  be  had  at  any  time.  "Tall  cerei  and  aloes  cover 
the  fantastic  cliffs,  and  the  towering  spikes  of  the  latter, 
some  15  or  30  feet  high,  with  their  masses  of  yellow  blos- 
soms, form  a  very  imposing  sight  in  the  early  part  of  the 
year." 

Right  across  the  Boca  Grande  lies  the  eastern  tip  of  Paria 
Peninsula,  the  Venezuelan  mountains  being  only  8  miles 
distant.  In  the  channel,  but  nearer  to  Paria  than  to  Trinidad, 
lies  Isla  de  Patos,  which  from  its  Spanish  name  and  from 
its  contiguity  to  Paria  should  belong  to  Venezuela,  but  is 
claimed  by  Great  Britain.  It  is  claimed  by  both  nations, 
in  fact,  and  is  almost  annually  a  subject  of  contention  nearly 
to  the  breaking  out  of  hostilities. 

Seaside  Houses  for  Rent.  The  structures  on  the  Five 
Islands  quarantine  stations,  when  not  in  use.  are  rented  to 
temporary  occupants  for  periods  not  exceeding  fourteen  days 
at  from  5  to  9  shillings  per  day. 

"No  island  can  be  engaged  until  a  deposit  is  made  with  the 
Secretary  of  the  Quarantine  Autliority  (to  cover  damage  to 
furniture  or  property)  of  $5  if  engaged  for  one  day,  of  $25 
if  engaged  for  seven  days  or  under,  and  $35  for  over  seven 
days ;  the  balance  of  the  deposit  to  be  refunded  after  all 
claims  have  been  settled." 

There  are  also  furnished  houses  for  hire  on  all  the  hab- 
itable islands  at  rentals  from  $20  to  $50  per  month.  Those 
who  hire  at  the  Bocas  must  take  all  their  provisions  wnth 
them,  though  fish  in  great  abundance  can  be  had  at  the  doors. 


488  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST   INDIES 

The  best  hotels  in  the  capital  and  the  business  houses  have 
lists  of  these  dwellings. 

The  Pitch  Lake  and  La  Brea.  The  grand  show  of 
Trinidad,  of  course,  is  the  famous  Pitch  Lake;  which,  by  the 
way,  is  neither  a  lake  nor  is  it  filled  with  pitch,  but  asphaltum. 
A  new  steamer,  the  Naparima,  runs  southward  from  San 
Fernando,  in  connection  with  the  trains  arriving  at  that 
place,  and  on  the  return  trip  with  those  from  San  Fernando 
for  Port-of-Spain.  The  trip  by  government  steamer  direct 
would  be  preferable,  but  it  does  not  run  every  day,  and  the 
combined  land  and  water  journey  is   interesting. 

We  have  described  the  rail  journey  as  far  as  San  Fernando, 
beyond  which  La  Brea,  or  Brighton,  the  Pitch  Lake  port, 
is  less  than  an  hour  distant  by  water.  The  cost  by  boat 
is,  with  lunch,  round  trip.  $2.50;  incidentals  about  $1.00; 
by  rail  and  boat,  round  trip,  $3.66.  Time  tables  are  appended 
herewith  : 

STEAMER  TIME  TABLE  BETWEEN  SAN 
FERNANDO  AND  CEDROS 

{Subject  to  alteration  at  any  time.) 

MoN.  TuEs.  Wed.  Thurs.  Sat. 

Down                p.m.  p.m.  p.m.  a.m.  a.m. 
In      connection      with 

train    arriving   at...    1.51  1.51  1.51  9-19  9-i9 

San  Fernando  dep 2.06  2.45  2.06  9.35  9.35 

La  Brea, Brighton  dep.  2.50  3.30  2.50  10.20  10.20 

Guapo  dep 3.20  4.00  3.20  10.50  10.50 

Cap-de-Ville    dep 3-35  4-i5  3-35  1105  ii-05 

Irois   dep 3-SO  4-30  3-50  11.20  11.20 

Cedros  dep 4.20  5.00  4.20  12  noon  12  noon 

Icacos    arr 4.55  5-35 

Hon.  Tues.  Wed.      Thurs.  Sat. 

a.m.  a.m.  a.m.  p.m.  p.m.  p.m. 

Icacos  dep 7-30  400 

Cedros  dep 430  8.05  430  4-40  7-i5  ii5 

Irois    dep 505  8.40  5.05  5.10  1.45  i-45 

Cap-de-Ville    dep. 5-20  8.55  5.20  5.25  2.00  2.00 

Guapo  dep 5-35  9-20  5-35  540  2.15  2.15 

La  Brea, Brighton  dep.  6.05  9.50  6.05  6.10  2.45  2.45 

San   Fernando   arr 7.05  10.50  7.05  7.00  3.45  3-45 

In      connection      with 

train  leaving  at 7.26  11.40  7.26  4-io  4.10 


TRINIDAD  489 

The  trip  might  be  made  in  connection  with  that  to  San 
Fernando  and  the  Mud  Volcanoes,  as  there  are  three  hotels 
in  the  former  place,  though  not  to  be  compared  with  the 
best  in  Port-of-Spain.  An  early  start  is  advised,  to  "do" 
the  "lake"  before  the  sun  gets,  we  will  not  say  hot,  for  it  is 
always  that,  but  rather  extremely  hot,  for  the  humidity  of 
the  Pitch  Lake  region  is  something  almost  unendurable. 

So  much  has  been  written  of  this  "seventh  wonder"  of 
the  West  Indies  (which,  however,  Kingsley  declared  was  no 
wonder  at  all,  but  a  very  natural  phenomenon)  that  little 
if  anything  has  been  left  for  one  to  say,  except  in  repetition. 
It  is  said  to  have  been  discovered  (or  at  least  was  found  out) 
by  Sir  Walter  Raleigh  when  he  came  into  the  Gulf  of  Paria 
in  1595.  He  "payed"  his  vessels  with  the  pitch,  of  which 
he  declared  there  was  sufficient  for  all  the  vessels  of  the 
world  for  centuries  to  come.  It  w^as  near  La  Brea,  by  the 
way,  that  Raleigh  discovered  the  "oisters"  growing  on  trees, 
the  report  of  which  discovery  in  England  caused  many  to 
doubt  his  veracity. 

The  "lake"  covers  more  than  100  acres,  and  doubtless  con- 
tains an  inexhaustible  supply,  for  as  fast  as  the  bitumen  is 
extracted,  the  holes  from  which  it  is  taken  fill  up  rapidly — 
a  perpetual-movement  arrangement  which  is  very  satisfactory 
to  the  government,  as  it  affords  a  perpetual  income  for  its 
treasury.  It  was  on  February  i,  1888,  that  the  Trinidad 
government,  having  learned  what  a  treasure  it  had  in  this 
vast  deposit,  leased  it  for  a  period  of  forty-two  years,  on  the 
easy  terms  of  a  minimum  annual  export  of  46,000  tons,  with 
annual  minimum  revenue  of  £15.333  for  the  first  twenty-one 
years ;  and  for  the  second  twenty-one  years  an  annual  mini- 
mum of  30,000  tons,  with  revenue  at  least  £30,000,  or  an 
estimated  total  of  not  less  than  £500,000  for  the  lease.  This 
concession  was  at  first  bitterly  opposed ;  but  the  wisdom  of 
it  has  since  been  acknowledged,  for  from  self-interest  the 
company  receiving  the  lease  has  extracted  and  exported 
vastly  in  excess  of  the  prescribed  minimum,  so  that  the 
annual  revenue  has  been  more  than  treble  the  stipulated 
sum.  In  the  year  1905,  for  example,  it  was  over  $215,000, 
and  went  far  toward  reducing  the  public  debt ;  which,  by  the 
way,  is  rather  large,  for  such  a  small  territory  as  Trinidad. 


490  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST  INDIES 

Where  the  Asphalt  Comes  From.  The  Pitch  Lake  may- 
be a  "wonder"  ;  but  it  does  not  so  impress  the  visitor,  who 
sees  merely  a  level  surface,  for  all  the  world  like  a  tract  of 
asphalt  pavement  stretched  out  into  an  area  of  acres,  with 
here  and  there  a  patch  of  muddy  water.  "Possessing  as  it 
does,"  says  one  writer,  "an  air  of  feverish  desolation,  not 
far  removed  from  the  'abomination'  spoken  of  by  the  prophet, 
the  Pitch  Lake  does  not  encourage  a  lengthened  stay.  .  .  . 
The  semi-solid  'pitch'  rises  in  patches  like  small  'sheep- 
'nacks,'  or  moutonees,  having  gullies  or  fissures  between  them 
filled  with  water.  The  sides  of  the  watery  seams  shelve 
toward  each  other  wedge-fashion,  and  in  the  centre  vary 
from  2  to  12  feet  in  breadth  and  from  i  to  5  feet  in  depth. 
In  the  innermost  part  of  the  lake  the  pitch  becomes  softer, 
emitting  an  unpleasant,  sulphurous  odour ;  the  lightest  foot- 
mark leaves  an  impression,  and  you  will  find  yourself  almost 
imperceptibly  sinking  unless  you  continue  constantly  in 
motion.  Here  and  there  liquid  pitch  may  be  observed  oozing 
out ;  you  may  handle  it  with  impunity,  and,  curiously,  it  does 
not  soil  the  fingers,  the  old  proverb  that  you  cannot  touch 
pitch  without  being  defiled,  to  the  contrary  notwith- 
standing.  ..." 

A  curious  tradition  recorded  in  Joseph's  History  of  Trini- 
dad relates  that  this  spot  was  formerly  dry  land,  and  that 
it  was  selected  by  the  Indians  for  their  village  of  wigwams 
because  of  the  numerous  pineapples  (which  still  grow  here 
luxuriantly,  imbedded  in  pitch),  large  flocks  of  birds,  and 
abundance  of  fish.  When,  however,  these  aborigines  wantonly 
destroyed  the  beautiful  humming-birds,  which  they  believed 
were  animated  by  the  souls  of  their  departed  relatives,  the 
Good  Spirit,  taking  an  awful  vengeance  upon  them  for  their 
impiety,  in  one  night  destroyed  the  whole  encampment, 
which,  with  its  sacrilegious  inhabitants,  sank  out  of  sight. 
Next  day  nothing  was  visible  except  the  Pitch  Lake,  which 
occupied  the   spot  where  the   Indians   had   lived. 

It  has  been  estimated  by  geologists  that  the  vast  deposit 
of  bitumen  here  amounts  to  at  least  4.500,000  tons,  and  is 
practically  inexhaustible.  The  original  concession  was 
granted  to  an  American  company,  the  well-known  Barber 
Asphalt  Company.     Through  their  energetic  and  intelligent 


TRINIDAD  491 

endeavours  Trinidad  asphalt  has  been  introduced  into  almost 
every  city  of  the  v^^orld,  such  cities  as  Washington,  for  ex- 
ample, having  its  pavements  entirely  composed  of  it. 

A  fine  jetty  extends  out  from  the  shore,  and  from  the  pier 
inland  for  about  a  mile  runs  at  the  height  of  15  feet  above 
ground  an  endless  chain  of  buckets.  By  this  means  the 
asphalt  is  brought  directly  from  the  lake  and  deposited  in 
the  holds  of  vessels  lying  alongside  the  wharf,  which  is  a 
great  improvement  over  the  former  rude  method  of  loading 
into  carts,  then  transshipping  to  boats  through  the  surf. 
Ample  time  is  given  the  visitor  to  inspect  the  lake,  as  much 
as  he  will  probably  care  to  spend  here  in  the  humid,  almost 
sizzling  temperature;  and  it  is  advisable  to  make  the  early 
morning  start  from  San  Fernando,  in  order  to  get  back 
before  the  heated  term  at  midday.  Do  not  fail  to  examine 
the  processes  by  which  the  material  is  so  intelligently  trans- 
ported ;  nor  to  inspect  the  water-holes  on  the  surface  of  the 
lake,  which  sometimes  swarm  with  strange  creatures. 
Around  the  lake  are  clumps  and  groves  of  the  beautiful 
palms,  which  Kingsley  so  eloquently  portrays,  by  their  lux- 
uriant growth  accentuating  the  desolation  caused  by  this 
sea  of  subterranean  bitumen  thrown  up  by  internal  forces. 

The  scene  has  been  described  by  many  writers,  but  by 
none  more  picturesquely  treated  than  in  the  following  from 
the  Book  of  Trinidad:  ".  .  .  Feeling  unstarched,  with  all 
our  briskness  gone,  or  our  heads  filled  with  wondering, 
fleeting  thoughts  of  Acheron,  Charon,  the  Styx,  and  all  the 
half-remembered  horrors  of  Homer  and  Virgil,  we  made  our 
way  back  to  shore ;  and  now  the  scene  changed  to  some 
extent,  but  still  was  the  same  note  struck,  and  still  the  same 
impression  remained.  On  an  endless  cable  leading  down 
to  the  pier,  over  half  a  mile  away,  we  saw  numberless  buckets 
filled  with  pitch  gliding  to  and  fro.  Out  of  the  distance  on 
the  farther  side  of  the  lake  there  stole  a  black  truck  laden 
with  buckets.  As  it  neared  the  shed  two  iron  claws  caught 
up  the  bucket,  switched  it  onto  the  cable,  and  sent  it  hum- 
ming down  to  the  ship.  On  the  edge  of  the  pier  it  was 
quickly  inverted,  and  its  contents,  thundering  down  a  chute, 
crashed  into  the  hold  with  a  noise  like  rocks  hurled  from  a 
height. 


492  A  GUIDE  TO  THE   WEST   INDIES 

"Here  was  the  prevailing  spirit  of  modern  times  vividly- 
brought  out.  Here  were  men  working  with  the  unpleasant 
to  obtain  the  necessary.  In  the  endless  cable  we  saw  the 
ceaseless  struggle  of  the  world  for  wealth ;  in  the  black  pitch 
we  saw  the  symbol  of  the  quest  for  gold,  denuded  of  all  its 
trimmings,  divested  of  its  trappings  and  its  frills,  stripped 
of  the  spurious  attractions  which  it  sometimes  holds. 

"Here  was  the  American  nation  doing  work  which  it  thor- 
oughly understood — work  unattractive,  single  in  aim,  direct 
in  method.  The  hum  of  the  cable,  the  crash  of  the  falling 
pitch,  the  burr  and  clank  of  the  engines — what  were  these 
but  different  instruments  of  the  orchestra  playing  an  accom- 
paniment to  the  eternal  song  of  the  'Almighty  Dollar'  ? 

"  'We  want  money,  we  want  money,'  sang  the  humming 
cable  as  it  bore  its  load  to  the  sea. 

"  'And  we  mean  to  have  it,'  echoed  the  crash  of  the  pitch." 

As  a  comment  on  this  tale  of  the  American  "Almighty 
Dollar,"  however,  we  quote  from  the  Trinidad  Year  Book 
for  1906:  "Since  1898  the  concession  or  lease  of  the  Pitch 
Lake  has  been  the  property  of  the  New  Trinidad  Lake 
Asphalt  Company,  of  London,  to  whom  the  jetty  and  works 
at  Brighton  (La  Brea)  belong." 

Historical  Sketch.  Trinidad,  southernmost  island  of  the 
West  Indies,  lying  between  ten  and  eleven  degrees  north 
of  the  equator,  is  in  many  respects  the  most  interesting  in 
the  Caribbean  archipelago.  It  was  discovered  by  Chris- 
topher Columbus  on  his  third  voyage  to  America,  nearly 
six  years  after  his  first  landing  in  the  Bahamas,  on  the 
last  day  of  July,  1498.  After  a  tedious  voyage  from  Spain, 
when  his  wine  and  water  were  nearly  gone  and  his  pro- 
visions almost  exhausted,  he  sighted  at  last  the  triple-peaked 
mountain  known  to-day  as  the  "Three  Sisters,"  which  he 
named  Trinidad,  or  the  Trinity,  not  only  on  account  of  its 
formation,  but  in  fulfilment  of  a  vow  he  had  m.ade  when 
in  dire  distress  at  sea. 

Coasting  the  eastern  shores  of  the  island,  he  entered  a 
pass  between  it  and  the  main  where  the  pent-up  waters  met 
and  clashed  so  furiously  that  he  called  it  the  "Serpent's 
Mouth"  {La  Boca  del  Sierpe),  a  name  it  bears  to-day. 
Anchoring  off  the  inner,  or  western,  shore  of  the  island,  in 


TRINIDAD  493 

the  Gulf  of  Paria,  he  became  acquainted  with  the  natives, 
who  were  similar  to  the  Caribs  living  to  the  north  and 
south  of  them,  and  who  freely  came  to  trade  with  the  first 
white  people  they  had  ever  seen.  They  called  their  island 
"lerc,"  or  the  "Land  of  Humming-birds,"  an  appellation 
which,  from  the  myriads  of  those  winged  gems  of  the  air, 
sporting  in  the  verdant  forests,  it  well  merited.  The  fas- 
cinating adventures  of  Columbus  and  his  crews  are  de- 
scribed at  length  in  his  Life,  by  Washington  Irving;  and 
we  will  dismiss  our  hero  merely  with  the  remark  that  he 
sailed  out  of  the  Gulf  of  Paria  through  another  dangerous 
passage,  which  he  called  La  Boca  del  Dragon,  the  Dragon's 
Mouth.  Thence,  after  coasting  the  north  shores  of  Paria 
and  discovering  the  since  famous  Pearl  Islands,  he  de- 
parted for  Santo  Domingo,  sailing  across  the  Caribbean  Sea. 

Closely  following  after  Columbus  came  another  famous 
navigator,  Amerigo  Vespucci,  who,  in  company  with  Alonzo 
de  Ojeda  and  Juan  de  la  Cosa,  skirted  Trinidad,  visited  the 
Pearl  Islands,  and  discovered  Venezuela.  Spanish  explorers 
frequently  touched  in  at  Trinidad  during  the  early  years  of 
the  sixteenth  century,  such  as  Pinzon,  who  discovered  the 
Amazon,  and  Solis,  who  discovered  the  Rio  de  la  Plata ; 
but  nearly  thirty  years  went  by  before  attempts  were  made 
to  colonise  the  island  and  nearly  ninety  before  a  permanent 
colony  was  established.  A  Spaniard,  Don  Antonio  de  Berrio 
y  Oruna,  landed  here  with  a  force  of  soldiers  drawn  from 
New  Grenada  and  founded  a  town  about  6  miles  inland,  at 
the  junction  of  two  rivers,  which  he  named  "San  Jose  de 
Oruna,"  after  himself.  He  made  his  settlement  inland 
because  the  usual  landing-place  on  the  Gulf  of  Paria.  known 
as  the  Puerto  de  los  Hispaiiolcs  (now  Port-of-Spain),  was 
exposed  to  the  attacks  of  Dutch  and  English  corsairs,  who 
were  then  very  numerous  in  the  Caribbean,  especially  along 
the  Spanish  Main.  But  this  precaution  did  not  save  his 
settlement,  for  about  ten  years  after  it  was  founded  Don 
Antonio  was  attacked  by  English  soldiers,  commanded  by 
Sir  Walter  Raleigh,  and,  after  a  humiliating  defeat,  com- 
pelled to  witness  the  destruction  of  San  Jose  by  fire. 

The  advent  of  Raleigh  at  Trinidad  was  the  sequel  to  a 
most    romantic    tradition   prevalent    among   the    Spaniards, 


494  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST   INDIES 

relating  to  El  Dorado.  Somehow  this  tradition  had  reached 
Sir  Walter,  probably  through  English  privateers  he  had 
himself  outfitted,  and  he  did  not  rest  until  he  had  sailed  for 
the  region  alleged  to  be  El  Dorado,  or  the  Country  of  the 
Gilded  King.  It  was  situated,  according  to  the  Spaniards, 
in  Guiana,  beyond  the  Orinoco  Mountains,  and  as  Trinidad 
commanded  the  mouths  of  the  Orinoco,  Sir  Walter  made 
that  island  his  base  of  operations.  He  took  and  destroyed 
San  Jose,  as  a  precaution  against  leaving  an  enemy  in  the 
rear,  while  his  boats  went  up  the  Orinoco  exploring ;  but 
he  treated  Don  Antonio  with  consideration,  and  obtained 
from  him  a  verification  of  the  story.  In  brief,  Raleigh  made 
a  vain  search  for  El  Dorado  in  the  year  1595,  and  after  send- 
ing out  several  of  his  captains  in  subsequent  years,  again 
visited  Trinidad  and  came  into  conflict  with  Spaniards,  in 
161 7- 18,  on  that  fatal  voyage  which  ended  with  the  losing 
of  his  head  I 

Thus  it  will  be  seen  that  famous  men  came  to  Trinidad 
even  before  it  had  more  than  the  beginnings  of  a  history, 
and  many  have  since  followed  in  their  tracks.  Both  Colum- 
bus and  Raleigh  anchored  their  ships  at  Pnnta  de  los  Gallos, 
the  southwestern  extremity  of  Trinidad,  and  the  latter  made 
use  of  material  from  the  famous  Pitch  Lake  for  closing 
the  opening  seams  of  his  vessels.  During  the  200  years  that 
the  Spaniards  maintained  a  colony  in  Trinidad  they  fre- 
quently came  into  conflict  with  the  Indians,  who,  though 
mild  and  unwarlike  in  the  main,  several  times  retaliated  upon 
their  oppressors.  At  one  time,  in  the  earliest  years  of  the 
colony,  they  massacred  the  governor,  all  the  priests,  and  the 
Cabildo  or  executive  board  of  officials ;  but  in  the  end, 
through  murders  and  "blackbirding,"  or  kidnapping,  they 
became  extinct.  None  of  Trinidad's  aborigines  are  now 
represented  on  the  island,  though  several  families  may  be 
found  whose  blood  is  mixed  with  that  of  whites  and  negroes. 

Affairs  in  Trinidad  were  never  very  flourishing  during 
Spanish  occupation,  and  at  one  time  had  reached  such  a  low 
ebb  that  the  illustrious  Cabildo,  composed  of  noble  Dons  of 
high  degree,  was  so  reduced  that  its  members  had  but  a 
single  pair  of  "small-clothes"  between  them,  which  they  used 
to  take  turns  in  wearing  at  public  functions.     Insular  pros- 


TRINIDAD  495 

perity  was  promoted  in  the  last  quarter  of  the  eighteenth 
century  by  the  immigration  of  French  settlers  from  Marti- 
nique, Guadeloupe,  and  the  blood-drenched  island  of  Haiti- 
Santo-Domingo.  So  many  came  in  that  in  the  last  decade 
of  that  century  the  population  of  the  island  was  increased 
from  a  little  more  than  a  thousand  to  above  ten  thousand, 
and  French,  rather  than  Spanish,  became  the  prevailing 
speech. 

It  was  when  the  Trinidadians  had  arrived  at  the  height  of 
prosperity  that  a  British  fleet,  consisting  of  twenty  ships  of 
the  line  and  smaller  vessels,  commanded  by  Admiral  Har- 
vey, and  carrying  a  force  of  8,000  men  under  Sir  Ralph 
Abercromby,  hove  in  sight  off  Port-of-Spain.  The  Spanish 
governor,  Chacon,  quickly  capitulated,  but  ever  since  the 
middle  of  February,  1797,  Trinidad  has  been  under  the  gov- 
ernment of  Great  Britain.  It  then  had  a  population  of  about 
17,000.  which,  in  the  six  years  under  Lieutenant  Colonel  Pic- 
ton,  whom  Abercromby  left  behind  as  governor,  increased  to 
nearly  30,000.  Picton  was  an  able  administrator,  who  after- 
ward achieved  posthumous  fame  by  dying  on  the  field  of 
Waterloo.  He  was  succeeded  by  various  governors,  all  men 
of  good  old  English  families,  under  whom  the  island  con- 
tinued to  flourish  exceedingly.  During  the  administration 
of  Sir  Ralph  Woodford  the  "Trinidad  Steamboat  Company" 
was  formed,  which  has  the  honor  of  setting  afloat  the  first 
steamer,  the  Woodford,  which  parted  with  its  keel  West 
Indian  waters.  By  this  instance,  the  progressive  spirit  of 
Trinidad  is  exemplified,  v/hich  has  continued  ever  since  with 
unabated  vigor.  Agriculture  and  commerce  were  stimulated 
by  this  governor,  who  practically  laid  out  Port-of-Spain, 
Trinidad's  capital,  as  it  exists  to-day,  and  made  the  begin- 
nings of  the  beautiful  Botanic  Gardens,  the  pride  of  the 
island. 

They  were  all  sturdy  and  vigorous  men,  those  British  gov- 
ernors of  tropical  Trinidad,  and,  owing  to  the  great  distance 
from  the  (adoptive)  mother  country,  privileged  to  rule  ac- 
cording to  the  dictates  of  their  judgment.  Picton.  especially, 
with  a  practically  foreign  constituency  to  "lick  into  shape,*' 
was  a  benevolent  despot.  It  is  related  of  him  that  he  had 
a  gallows  erected  on  the   savanna   in   front  of  Government 


496  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST  INDIES 

House,  which  he  was  wont  to  show  to  recalcitrants  when 
brought  before. him,  with  the  grim  remark:  "There,  see  you 
that !  Reform  your  ways  and  you  shall  be  protected ;  but 
if  you  do  not  behave  in  accordance  with  your  oath  of  alle- 
giance (or  else  leave  the  island),  the  wind  shall  blow  be- 
tween the  soles  of  your  feet  and  the  grass  that  grows  be- 
neath yonder  gibbet!" 

The  planters  of  Trinidad  were,  of  course,  slave-holders, 
wnth  many  native  and  Creole  Africans  in  their  employ,  whom 
the  emancipation  edict  of  1834  took  out  of  their  hands. 
England  reimbursed  them  to  the  amount  of  £20,000.000 ; 
but,  nevertheless,  their  great  estates  "went  to  the  dogs,"  and 
ruin  stared  them  in  the  face,  until  Coolie  immigration  was 
established  between  1846  and  1854.  The  negroes  would  not 
return  to  the  plantations  from  which  they  were  set  free,  be- 
cause of  the  facilities  afforded  for  a  life  of  comparative  ease 
and  luxury  by  the  island's  wonderful  resources.  The  East 
Indians  saved  the  situation,  for  they  were,  and  are,  inde- 
fatigable workers,  frugal,  contented  with  a  small  wage;  but 
they,  too,  become  captivated  by  the  free  life  of  a  squatter, 
and,  after  their  indentures  have  expired,  usually  settle  down 
as  independent  planters,  in  a  small  way,  or  establish  them- 
selves as  shopkeepers  or  craftsmen  in  the  towns. 

Another  beneficent  administrative  act  was  the  throwing 
open  of  Trinidad's  vast  agricultural  resources  by  the  Crown 
Lands'  Ordinance  of  1868,  which  has  induced  cultivation 
in  sections  remote  from  the  coast  and  added  greatly  to  the 
revenues.  Highways  and  railroads  have  been  constructed, 
continuously  and  progressively,  until  the  numerous  attrac- 
tions of  Trinidad  have  been  made  accessible  to  the  visiting 
tourist,  as  well  as  its  fertile  lands  to  the  exploiter  of  its 
resources. 

STEAMSHIP  AGENCIES,  TRINIDAD 

Agent:   Mr.   E.   C.   L.   Rimer,  78   Marine  Square.     The 

vessels  of  the  Roya]  Mail  Steam  Packet  Company  leave 
Southampton  for  the  West  Indies  on  alternate  Wednesdays. 
The  homeward  ships  leave  Trinidad  for  Europe  and  the 
West  Indies  alternate  Fridays,  arriving  in  England  on  the 
Wednesday  week  afterward.    The  Royal  ]\Iail  extra  steamers 


TRINIDAD  497 

leave  London  on  Wednesdays,  calling  at  Plymouth,  and  pro- 
ceeding direct  to  Barbados  to  connect  with  the  mail  leaving 
Southampton,  proceeding  thence  to  Trinidad,  Grenada,  La 
Guayra,  and  Jamaica,  returning  to  Trinidad  to  take  cargo 
for  Continental  ports  and  London. 

Agents:  Messrs.  C.  Leotaid  &  Son,  King  Street.  The 
French  mail  steamer  of  the  Compagnie  Generale  Transat- 
lantique,  from  Havre,  Bordeaux,  and  Santander,  via  Guade- 
loupe and  Martinique,  arrives  here  about  the  loth  of  each 
month,  proceeding  to  Carupano,  La  Guayra,  Puerto  Cabello, 
Savanilla,  Colon,  and  Port  Limon,  returning  on  or  about  the 
30th,  and  leaving  directly  for  Martinique,  Guadeloupe,  San- 
tander, Bordeaux,  and  Havre.  The  French  intercolonial 
steamer  from  Martinique  and  St.  Lucia  calls  here  on  the 
24th,  leaving  the  same  day  for  Demerara,  Surinam,  and 
Cayenne,  and  returning  on  the  7th  of  the  following  month, 
on  the  way  to  St.  Lucia  and  ^Martinique,  to  meet  the  Trans- 
atlantique  steamer  for  Guadeloupe  and  St.  Nazaire. 

Agents:  New  Colonial  Co.,  Ltd.,  South  Quay.  Steamers 
of  Scrutton's  "Direct"  Line  arrive  here  from  London,  via 
Barbados,  about  twice  a  month,  proceeding  to  the  northern 
islands.  During  the  crop  season  they  return  to  Trinidad  to 
load  for  London  and  Continental  ports. 

The  Glasgow  "Direct"  steamers  run  monthly,  in  crop 
season,  between  Glasgow,  Trinidad,  and  Demerara. 

The  vessels  of  Frederick  Leyland  &  Co..  Ltd.  (the  old 
West  Indian  and  Pacific  Steamship  Company),  fit  in  with 
those  of  the  Harrison  Line,  to  supply  a  service  every  ten  days 
direct  from  Liverpool,  returning  via  Venezuela  and  North 
America. 

A  line  of  Dutch  mail  steamers  plies  every  fortnight  from 
Amsterdam,  via  Paramaribo  and  Demerara.  proceeding  to 
Carupano,  Cumana,  Guanta,  La  Guayra,  Puerto  Cabello, 
Curagao,  Jacmel,  Port-au-Prince,  and  New  York,  returning 
homewards  by  the  same  route. 

The  La  Veloce  Line,  between  Mediterranean  ports,  Tene- 
riffe,  Trinidad,  and  Central  America. 

Agents:  Messrs.  Gordon,  Grant  &  Co.,  St.  Vincent 
Wharf.  The  Pickford  &  Black  Steamship  Company,  Ltd., 
Canadian   steamers   run    fortnightly   to   and    from   the   Do- 


498  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST   INDIES 

minion,  calling  at  Bermuda,  the  northern  islands,  and 
Demerara. 

Agents:  Messrs.  J.  H.  Archer  &  Co.,  South  Quay.  The 
Knott  "Prince"  Line  runs  at  intervals  from  Glasgow  direct 
and  Cadiz,  proceeding  to  Venezuela,  Colon,  Vera  Cruz,  New 
Orleans,  and  thence  home. 

Agents:  Trinidad  Shipping  &  Trading  Co.,  Ltd.,  King 
Street  West.  The  Trinidad  line  of  steamers  runs  every 
ten  or  twelve  days  between  Trinidad  and  New  York. 

The  Austro-American  line,  between  Trieste,  ^Mediterranean 
ports,  Las  Palmas,  Trinidad,  and  Central  America. 

Agents:  J.  N.  Harriman  &  Co.,  Marine  Square.  The 
Harrison  line  runs  steamers  direct  from  Liverpool,  and,  in 
conjunction  with  the  Leyland  line,  affords  a  service  every 
ten  days.  Vessels  proceed  to  Venezuela,  Curasao,  Colon, 
New  Orleans,  etc. 

Agents:  Compania  de  Vapores  del  Orinoco,  St.  Vincent 
Street.  Steamers  of  this  line  run  between  Trinidad  and 
Ciudad  Bolivar,  connecting  with  the  steamers  of  the  same 
company  plying  on  the  Upper  Orinoco  and  its  most  im- 
portant tributaries. 

A  bi-monthly  service  between  Trinidad  and  La  Guayra. 

Agents:  Paul  H.  Scheerer  &  Co.,  Lr.  Charlotte  Street. 
The  Hamburg-American  Steamship  Company.  From  Ham- 
burg, via  St.  Thomas,  connecting  with  steamers  to  Bolivar. 

Agents:  Ellis,  Grell  &  Co.,  Navigazione  Generale  Itali- 
ana.  These  steamers  leave  New  York  every  fortnight  for 
Trinidad,  via  Barbados,  proceeding  afterward  to  Surinam. 


A  GLIMPSE  OF  SOUTH  AMERICA 

Trinidad  is  so  situated,  opposite  the  many  mouths  of  the 
vast  Orinoco,  and  commanding  routes  of  travels  along  the 
north  coast  of  South  America,  that  it  offers  many  fascinating 
trips  outside  its  boundaries  proper.  By  making  the  island 
one's  headquarters  during  the  winter — in  fact,  say,  from  the 
first  of  December  till  the  last  of  March,  one  might  visit 
a  great  portion  of  the  north  and  northeast  coasts  of  South 
America,  and  make  acquaintance  with  such  fascinating  coun- 
tries as  Guiana  and  Venezuela,  both  by  coast  routes  and 
internal  waterway?. 

Bermudez  Asphalt  Lake.  Although  not  included  in  the 
general  itineraries  of  tourists,  and  lying  outside  the  routes 
of  ordinary  travel,  Bermudez  Lake,  said  to  be  the  largest 
asphalt  deposit  in  the  world,  might  be  "taken  in"  by  the 
adventurous  traveller  while  at  Trinidad.  It  lies  across  the 
Gulf  from  Trinidad,  in  the  northeastern  province  of 
Venezuela,  and  can  only  be  visited  by  permission  of  the  con- 
trolling company,  whose  steamers  frequently  make  the  trips 
and  whose  landing-wharves  are  at  Guanaco,  a  place  created 
and  owned  by  the  energetic  exploiters  of  this  vast  deposit. 
The  head  offices  are  in  Port-of-Spain.  at  48  King  Street, 
where  full  information  may  be  obtained.  Not  only  will  a 
visit  to  this  lake  afford  an  unique  experience  in  viewing  the 
great  undertaking,  so  recently  initiated  and  carried  out,  but 
opportunities  may  be  given  for  "tiger"  and  boa  shooting  in 
the  surrounding  wilds. 

A  TRIP  UP  THE   ORINOCO   RIVER 

The  most  unique  trip,  doubtless,  which  a  visit  to  Trinidad 
affords,  is  that  up  and  down  the  Orinoco,  the  delta  of  which 
pours  its  waters  into  the  Gulf  of  Paria,  opposite  the  island's 
southern  shore.  Discovered  by  Columbus  in  1498,  the 
Orinoco  was  first  explored  by  Diego  de  Ordaz  in  1531.  After 
these  worthies  followed  Sir  Walter  Raleigh,  in  1595,  though 
the  Spaniards  had  by  then  established  forts  at  various  places 


500  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST  INDIES 

on  its  banks.  El  Dorado  lured  them  all — and  most  of  them 
to  destruction — that  fabled  land  where  lived  the  "Gilded 
King,"  who  was  annually  coated  with  gold  dust  and  bathed 
in  a  wonderful  lake.  There  were  also  stories  of  fighting 
Amazons,  and  of  monsters  with  mouths  in  their  breasts  and 
eyes  in  their  shoulders;  though  these,  needless  to  say,  were 
never  discovered. 

Still,  the  fact  that  this  mysterious  river,  with  its  head- 
waters in  the  equatorial  Andes,  and  connecting  with  the 
Amazon  through  the  Rio  Negro,  may  be  entered  and  ex- 
plored from  Trinidad,  should  incite  the  traveller  to  attempt 
a  journey  on  it.  Though  it  is  some  1.500  miles  in  length, 
and  is  navigable  for  800  miles  from  its  mouth,  it  is  doubtful 
if  the  Orinoco's  source  has  been  found  as  yet ;  but  a  "speci- 
men trip"  may  be  taken  in  perfect  ease  as  far  as  the  city 
of  Bolivar,  which  is  300  miles  up  the  river.  The  Compania 
de  Vapores  del  Orinoco,  with  its  offices  in  Port-of-Spain, 
sends  a  steamer  up-river  every  two  weeks,  by  which  the 
voyage  may  be  made  safely  and  comfortably.  Beyond  Bolivar 
their  supplementary  steamers  navigate  the  Upper  Orinoco 
and  its  tributaries  for  a  distance  of  1,000  miles,  and  it  is 
possible  to  reach  the  foot-hills  of  the  great  Andes,  and  even 
the  inland  region  of  Brazil. 

PORT-OF-SPAIN   TO   BOLIVAR 

While  one  might  journey  in  the  rainy  season  from  Trinidad 
to  within  100  miles  of  Bogota,  capital  of  Colombia,  and  also, 
by  the  network  of  tributaries,  reach  and  descend  the  river 
Amazon,  yet  the  limit  of  comfortable  voyaging  is  reached  at 
Bolivar,  and  it  is  not  recommended  to  attempt  further, 
except  one  be  a  well-seasoned  explorer.  A  Venezuelan  pass- 
port is  necessary,  which  may  be  obtained  from  the  consul  at 
the  capital,  to  whom  the  baggage  list  must  also  be  declared. 
For  it  must  be  remembered  that  Venezuela's  territory  begins 
on  the  opposite  side  of  the  Gulf,  and  that  this  country  is  not  a 
"land  of  steady  habits,"  but  of  revolutions  and  proniincia- 
mientos. 

Leaving  Port-of-Spain  in  the  evening,  the  side-wheel  steamer 
on  which  one  takes  passage  reaches  the  mouth  of  the 
Macareo  (one  of  Orinoco's  numerous  affluents)  at  daybreak 


A  GLIMPSE  OF  SOUTH  AMERICA  501 

next  morning.  The  channel  of  this  river  is  a  mile  or  two 
in  width,  and  frequently  the  primeval  forest  comes  down 
to  the  banks  on  either  side,  so  that  the  voyager  is  plunged 
at  once  into  a  tropical  wilderness,  which,  though  somewhat 
monotonous  in  its  general  aspect,  contains  a  wealth  of 
vegetable  and  animal  wonders.  Subject  to  annual  overflow, 
as  is  the  basin  of  the  Lower  Orinoco,  it  can  hardly  be  con- 
sidered as  habitable ;  yet  human  beings  dwell  here,  mainly 
semi-savage  Indians,  who  have  not  changed  since  Columbus 
came  to  Trinidad,  or  Ordaz  discovered  them,  living,  as  they 
live  now  in  the  season  of  flood,  in  the  tops  of  the  trees, 
where  they  build  frail  shelters  in  the  crowns  of  the  palms. 

The  forests  are  the  haunts  of  wild  animals,  such  as  jaguars, 
pumas,  tapirs,  ocelots,  and  monkeys  innumerable ;  the  waters 
contain  alligators  by  thousands,  Carib  or  cannibal  fish  their 
equals  in  fierceness  and  voracity,  electric  eels,  and  man- 
eating  crocodiles ;  while  in  the  swamps  may  be  found  boas 
and  pythons  sometimes  40  feet  in  length.  All  these  are 
considered  fair  game  for  the  men  on  deck  armed  with  rifles 
and  revolvers,  and  their  fusillades  enliven  the  monotony. 
Vari-coloured  and  beautiful  birds,  like  flamingoes,  herons, 
and  cranes,  wade  the  shallow  water,  ducks  and  other  water- 
fowl disport  upon  its  surface,  while  flocks  of  parrots  fly 
screaming  overhead.  Few  villages  are  seen,  and  these  most 
wretched,  consisting  of  open,  palm-thatched  huts,  the  Indian 
occupants  of  which  are  nearly  naked — the  children  quite  so 
and  the  adults  clad  with  breech  clout  only,  a  necklace  of 
wild  beasts'  teeth,  and  headdress  of  bright  feathers.  They 
are  harmless,  though  bestial  in  their  mode  of  life;  but  their 
regard  for  their  dead  is  shown  by  the  manner  in  which  they 
dispose  of  them,  wrapped  in  leaves  and  palm-fibre,  and  sus- 
pended in  hammocks  above  the  ground. 

Not  long  after  the  Orinoco  is  reached,  with  its  wider  stream 
and  higher  banks,  the  site  of  a  fort  is  pointed  out  as  one 
which  was  built  by  Sir  Walter  Raleigh  in  1595.  It  is  near  the 
wretched  settlement  of  Tablas,  where  passengers  disembark 
for  the  gold  mines — those  very  mines  sought  by  Sir  Walter, 
but  which  he  never  found,  though  close  upon  them  several 
times.  The  failure  to  find  these  mines  wrought  the  ruin 
of  his  voyage  in  1618.  for  on  the  pretext  that  he  had  invaded 


502  A  GUIDE  TO   THE   WEST   INDIES 

a  countr}'  with  which  England  was  at  peace,  King  James 
cut  off  his  head. 

Two  days  and  nights  of  constant  steaming  (not  only  by 
the  boats,  but  by  the  passengers,  in  the  hot  and  humid  atmos- 
phere) brings  one  to  the  objective  of  the  voyage,  Chidad 
Bolivar,  or  Bolivar's  City,  formerly  known  as  Angostura. 
It  is  the  capital  of  the  State  of  that  name,  is  built  upon 
solid  rock,  which  here  juts  out  into  the  Orinoco,  and  con- 
tains a  population  of  about  10,000.  It  is  not  an  attractive 
city,  but  though  extremely  hot,  is  not  very  unhealthy,  possess- 
ing, it  is  claimed,  a  dry  climate  and  immunity  from  mosqui- 
toes. It  is  the  journey  thither,  rather  than  what  Bolivar  con- 
tains, that  constitutes  the  attraction  of  that  Orinoco  voyage ; 
and  if  one  could  traverse  the  vast  country  beyond  he  would 
find  enough  to  furnish  enjo3'ment  for  a  lifetime.  The  city 
has  a  square  or  plaza  containing  a  statue  of  Bolivar  the  Lib- 
erator, a  cathedral,  a  government  building,  with  old  docu- 
ments pertaining  to  the  country  in  its  archives,  a  federal 
college,  and  a  market-place,  in  which  the  products  of  the 
country  are  displayed.  The  houses  are  of  the  old  Spanish 
type,  of  stone,  with  flat  roofs  and  barred  windows,  and  with 
galleries  projecting  over  the  streets,  which  but  for  the  shade 
they  afford  would  scarcely  be  comfortable  with  a  midday 
temperature  of  100°  in  the  shade.  A  concise  opinion  of 
Bolivar  is  given  in  the  common  saying  that  it  owes  its  exist- 
ence to  the  fact  that  the  devil  stole  a  march  on  the  Creator 
during  his  Sabbath-day  rest  and  threw  up  Ciudad  Bolivar  as 
an  outpost ! 

On  the  Upper  Orinoco.  The  river  is  about  850  yards 
wide  opposite  Bolivar,  and  in  the  middle  of  the  stream  rises 
a  great  rock,  surmounted  by  a  cross,  which  serves  as  an 
"Orinoco-metre,"  gauging  the  annual  rise  of  the  stream, 
which  is  about  70  feet,  and  occurs  between  March  and  mid- 
summer, culminating  in  the  month  of  August.  Owing  to  this 
tremendous  rise  and  fall  of  the  Orinoco,  there  can  be  no 
wharves  along  its  banks,  and  vessels  experience  great  diffi- 
culty in  lading  and  in  discharging  cargo,  except  when  the 
river  is  high. 

Bolivar  is  the  great  entrepot  for  the  vast  natural  resources 
of  the  country  drained  by  the  Orinoco  and  tributaries,  and 


A  GLHIPSE  OF  SOUTH  AMERICA  503 

Trinidad,  lying  at  the  Orinoco's  principal  outlets,  commands 
all  the  trade  in.  gold,  rubber,  gums,  balsams,  tonca  beans, 
cacao,  coffee,  bird  plumes,  tobacco,  hides,  horns,  and  live 
stock,  the  country's  staples.  There  is  no  question  but  that 
this  trade  will  continue  to  increase  to  vast  proportions  in  the 
nc.'ir  future,  as  the  now  unknown  regions  are  developed, 
and  to  Trinidad,  occupying  its  strategic  position,  will  inure 
the  benefits.  Port-of-Spain  will  become  of  commanding  im- 
portance, like  Para,  through  both  of  which  will  pass  the 
thousands  of  tons  of  crude  rubber  collected  on  the  Upper 
Orinoco  and  the  Amazon,  all  of  which  from  the  former  must 
be  transshipped  at  Trinidad.  It  is  said,  however,  that  to  fully 
avail  of  the  immense  resources  locked  up  in  the  headwater 
regions  there  must  be  a  reconquest  of  the  country,  for  the 
Indians  resident  there  are  plunged  into  the  depths  of  sav- 
agery and  resist  the  advance  of  civilisation  with  their 
poisoned  arrows. 

THE  PEARL  ISLANDS 

From  Port-of-Spain  one  may  visit  the  islands  along  the 
coast  of  Venezuela,  several  lines  connecting  with  ports  and 
islands  on  that  coast  (as  may  be  seen  by  the  preceding  list  of 
steamers).  The  Royal  Mail  is  the  best  of  these,  and  as  it 
skirts  the  entire  coast  line,  anciently  known  as  the  "Spanish 
Main,"  it  affords  splendid  facilities  for  reaching  all  places 
of  interest  between  Trinidad  and  the  Isthmus  of  Panama. 
Another  line,  the  Royal  Dutch,  takes  the  partial  course, 
and  touches  at  Cumana,  opposite  which  lies  the  famous 
island  Margarita.  This  island  was  once  the  seat  of  a  very 
lucrative  pearl  fishery,  pearls  having  been  discovered  here 
by  Columbus  in  -1498,  and  later  some  explorers  took  away 
vast  quantities.  The  pearl-oyster  beds  were  almost  exhausted 
centuries  ago,  but  several  small  companies  still  fish  in  the 
waters  adjacent  to  the  island,  and  are  fairly  well  rewarded 
for  their  pains.  Here  are  old  forts,  relics  of  Spanish  times  in 
the  sixteenth  century,  and  the  history  of  the  Pearl  Islands  is 
exceedingly  fascinating.  Lying  near  the  coast  of  Venezuela, 
in  the  meridian  of  Cumana.  Margarita  is  from  5  to  20  miles 
in   breadth   by   45   miles   in    length,    with    an   area   of   about 


504  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST   INDIES 

450  square  miles.  It  contains  two  mountain  ranges,  one 
of  them  4,000  feet  high,  separated  by  a  low  isthmus  surround- 
ing a  lagoon  in  the  centre.  The  climate  is  healthful,  on 
the  whole,  dry  and  bracing  in  the  mountains,  the  scenery  is 
interesting,  but  there  is  a  total  lack  of  accommodations  for 
travellers. 

CURA9AO   AND   BONAIRE 

The  coast  of  Venezuela  (with  its  ports  of  Cumana,  La 
Guayra.  Puerto  Cabello,  Coro,  and  Maracaibo)  offers  lures 
to  the  traveller;  but  is  beyond  the  scope  of  this  Guide,  which 
embraces  only  the  islands  of  the  Caribbean  Sea,  and  not  its 
littoral. 

Lying  off  the  Venezuelan  coast,  about  40  miles  distant,  and 
six  days'  steaming  from  New  York,  is  the  quaint  Dutch 
island  of  Curasao.  Its  surface  is  generally  level,  with  a  few 
elevations  of  about  1,000  feet,  and  its  climate,  so  near  the 
equator  (within  12°),  is  hot,  but  not  unhealthful. 

Although  a  possession  of  the  Dutch,  and  the  resort  of 
Venezuelan  revolutionists  (who  flock  thither  to  save  their 
funds  and  their  heads  after  an  uprising  is  over),  Curasao's 
commerce  is  mainly  with  the  United  States,  with  which  it  is 
connected  by  an  excellent  line  of  ocean  steamers.  The  island 
was  discovered  in  the  year  1499  by  no  less  an  individual  than 
Amerigo  Vespucci,  who  found  it  inhabited  by  a  race  of 
Indian  giants,  since  exterminated.  Its  name  is  aboriginal. 
It  is  some  40  miles  in  length,  with  a  breadth  varying  from 
3  to  7  miles,  and  although  its  roads  are  very  good  in  the 
dry  season,  the  country  districts  of  Curasao  are  not  very 
interesting.  The  visitor's  time  should  be  spent  mainly  about 
its  only  port-of-call,  which  is  so  entirely  Dutch  in  appear- 
ance that  one  might  easily  imagine  himself  in  Holland. 

The  Tov^^n  of  Willemstadt.  As  the  voyager  approaches 
Curasao  from  the  south,  the  barren  brown  hills  that  form 
the  backbone  of  the  island  are  rent  apart  at  about  its  centre, 
thus  giving  ingress  to  what  is  probably  the  safest  and  most 
securely  landlocked  harbour  in  these  seas.  It  is  so  narrow 
that  soldiers  in  the  two  forts  guarding  the  entrance,  one 
on  each  side,  can  hail  one  another  in  ordinary  tones   from 


A  GLBIPSE  OF  SOUTH  AMERICA  505 

their  respective  stations.  One  of  these  forts  is  known  as 
Fort  Riff,  the  other  as  Fort  Amsterdam.  They  are  very 
old,  their  cannon  are  obsolete,  and  their  small  garrisons  of 
quaint  Dutch  soldiers  are  as  funny  as  those  of  Saint  Thomas. 
The  inlet  is  deep  and  straight,  leading  directly  into  the 
capacious  harbour,  beyond  which  is  a  great  lagoon  called  the 
Schattegat.  Just  inside  the  forts  a  bridge  of  boats  spans  the 
harbour,  which  has  to  be  opened  every  time  a  vessel  seeks 
entrance.  As  the  steamer  arrives  opposite  the  inlet  she 
whistles  loudly,  and  in  a  moment  an  answering  whistle 
comes  floating  back  in  a  minor  key.  The  ship's  bow  is 
pointed  landward,  and  as  she  enters  the  inlet  one  end  of 
the  pontoon  bridge  slowly  crawls  to  one  side,  drawn  by  a 
small  steam  launch.  The  strip  of  blue  water  grows  wider, 
and  at  last,  when  the  bridge  of  boats  lies  parallel  with  the 
shore,  the  big  steamer  sails  superbly  in  between  the  old 
forts,  so  near  that  a  biscuit  might  be  tossed  into  either  one 
from  the  deck.  Once  inside,  the  pontoon  is  drawn  back 
to  position  again,  and  the  interrupted  stream  of  traffic 
resumes  its  placid  flow  from  shore  to  shore  of  the  lagoon. 

The  landlocked  lagoon,  which  constitutes  the  secure  har- 
bour of  Curasao,  is  shaped  like  a  three-leaf  clover,  with 
the  stem  and  central  leaf  pushing  straight  into  the  island. 
It  is  around  the  centre  and  right-hand  clover  leaves  that  the 
town  of  Willemstadt  is  built.  The  finest  houses  line  the 
main  harbour,  and  are  eminently,  as  well  as  respectably, 
Dutch  in  architecture,  with  modifications  to  suit  the  tropical 
climate.  They  are  as  solidly  constructed  as  any  buildings 
along  the  Zuyder  Zee,  with  walls  of  stone,  bricked  court- 
yards, and  tiled  roofs.  Aside  from  their  shapes  and  con- 
tours, these  houses  attract  one  by  their  rich  and  varied 
colours,  for  the  roof  tiles  are  red,  the  walls  are  yellow 
and  pink.  As  seen  from  the  sea  outside,  or  from  the  cactus- 
covered  hills  that  rise  inland,  a  prettier,  brighter  picture 
than  this  of  the  little  Dutch  village  it  would  be  difficult  to 
find. 

The  town  proper,  which  lies  at  the  right  of  the  harbour  as 
it  is  entered,  is  divided  into  Pietennaay  and  Schardo,  while 
the  opposite,  or  other,  side  of  the  harbour  is  literally  ren- 
dered, in   Spanish,  by  Otrabanda.     These  names   remind  us 


5o6  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST   INDIES 

that  the  speech  of  the  people  is  peculiar,  being  composed 
of  several  languages  mingled.  While  the  language  generally 
spoken  is  English,  the  official  speech  is  Dutch,  and  the  com- 
.mon  tongue  this  mixed  dialect,  or  Papiamento.  It  is  com- 
posed of  Dutch,  Indian,  English,  Spanish,  and  other  words, 
and  forms,  as  some  one  has  said,  a  "perfect  pepper-pot  of 
a  dialect,"  which  seems  uncouth,  yet  has  its  grammar  and 
dictionary. 

Some  of  the  streets  in  Pietermaay  are  broad  and  well 
paved,  but  there  are  others,  mere  narrow  lanes,  above  which 
the  balconies  of  houses  on  either  side  nearly  meet,  and  in 
which  disport  naked  children  of  the  common  sorts.  There 
is  much  to  interest  one  in  these  streets,  especially  the  people 
one  meets  there,  the  total  population  of  the  island  being 
about  28,000  or  30,000,  composed  of  as  varied  types  as  can  be 
found  in  any  island  in  the  world.  As  Curagao  is  a  free 
port,  nearly  everything  is  very  cheap,  the  shops  are  numer- 
ous, the  imports  many.  All  Dutch  products,  especially,  are 
extremely  low  priced,  as  gin  and  liquors  generally  and  the 
famed  "Curagao"  cordial,  which  is  not  made  here,  never 
was  made  here,  perhaps,  but  derives  its  name  from  the 
island  orange  with  which  it  is  flavoured.  Gold  and  silver 
jewelry,  drawn-work,  articles  from  Venezuela,  etc.,  are  to 
be  found  in  the  stores,  which  are  numerous  and  well  stocked. 
There  is  an  immense  lihreria,  or  book  store  and  publishing 
house,  here,  that  of  the  well-known  Betancourt,  the  chief 
trade  of  which  is  in  the  neighbouring  Republic  of  Venezuela. 

Communication  between  various  parts  of  the  island  is 
afforded  by  excellent  roads,  hard  and  dry  (in  the  winter 
season),  and  around  the  harbour  lagoon  runs  a  quaint  tram- 
way, which  also  connects  different  points  in  the  town.  The 
cars  are  very  small,  and  the  motive  power  is  derived  from 
a  diminutive  donkey  the  size  of  a  large  "billy-goat."  This 
animal  is  so  completely  overshadowed  by  the  car,  small  as  it 
is,  that  (it  is  related)  a  party  of  visitors  once  took  seats 
(entering  from  the  rear  of  the  vehicle)  and  was  drawn 
around  the  lagoon  and  back  to  the  steamer  without  dis- 
covering the  means  of  propulsion.  On  returning  to  the 
ship  one  of  the  party,  a  lady,  exclaimed  delightedly,  "What 
a  charming  ride  that  was  on  the  electric  car!"    "She  called 


A  GLIMPSE  OF  SOUTH  AMERICA  507 

it  an  elegtric  gar,"  said  the  Dutchman  who  narrated  the 
story,    "pecause    she    didn't    see    der    yackass !" 

The  sights  of  Curagao,  aside  from  the  peculiar  architecture, 
are  West  Indian,  such  as  the  market  and  washerwomen,  the 
former  grouped  on  every  street  corner  guarding  little  piles 
of  fruits  and  vegetables ;  the  latter  belabouring  the  visitors' 
linen  (which  they  have  worried  from  them  by  much  im- 
portunity) with  clubs  wielded  by  sinewy  arms.  There  are 
no  streams  in  the  island  and  few  if  any  fresh-water  springs, 
so  all  clothing  is  washed  in  the  sea  by  half-naked  washer- 
women, alternately  dipped  and  mauled  with  a  club,  then  hung 
to  dry  upon  a  cactus  plant  or  sharp-pronged  coral  rock. 

A  few  public  buildings  are  worth  visiting,  as  the  governor's 
palace,  the  churches,  the  custom-house.  Masonic  temple,  the 
more  pretentious  structures  occupied  as  stores  and  dwellings, 
and  the  old  forts.  The  Dutch  possessions  in  the  West 
Indies  consist  of  a  few  islands  only  (as  already  mentioned 
in  our  visits  to  Saba  and  'Statia).  comprising  these  islands, 
Curagao,  Bonaire,  Oruba,  and  part  of  Saint  Martin.  The 
seat  of  government  is  here  in  Curagao,  where  the  chief 
magistrate  resides,  and  each  outlying  dependency  is  under 
a  sub-officer  appointed  by  the  sovereign.  The  aggregate  area 
of  all  these  islands  is  about  430  square  miles,  the  population 
50,000.  Curasao,  the  largest,  is  210  square  miles  in  area: 
Bonaire  (or  Buen  Ayre),  95;  Oruba,  70;  the  half  of  Saint 
Martin,  17;  'Statia,  7;  and  little  Saba,  5.  The  distance  be- 
tween the  last  named  and  Curagao  is  the  breadth  of  the 
Caribbean  Sea  in  its  narrowest  part,  and  a  government 
steamer  performs  the  voyage  once  a  month  between  the 
various  islands. 

Excursions.  The  central  lagoon,  as  already  said,  is  spanned 
by  a  pontoon  bridge,  the  toll  on  which  is  two  Dutch  cents 
for  "quality"  people,  and  but  one  cent  for  those  who  go 
barefoot.  This  bridge  owes  its  origin  to  the  genius  of  a 
former  American  consul.  Captain  Smith,  who  also  was  the 
first  to  bring  to  CuraQao  (it  is  said)  cargoes  of  ice  from  his 
native  State  of  Maine.  The  lagoon  is  crossed  by  means  of 
innumerable  boats,  also,  the  charge  for  ferriage  being 
five  Dutch  "coppers,"  equal  to  about  two  cents  American 
currency.    Good  roads  lead  into  the  country,  but  the  scenery 


5o8  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  WEST   INDIES     • 

is  not  attractive,  the  few  plantations  are  usually  dry  and 
parched  in  appearance,  little  rain  falling  here  for  months  at 
a  time.  The  most  conspicuous  tree  here  is  perhaps  the 
sapodilla,  the  fruit  of  which  is  delicious,  but  peculiar.  There 
are  also  hosts  of  cacti  and  other  spiny  plants  that  grow 
in  a  dry  country,  aloes,  a   few  palms,   etc. 

Perhaps  the  most  interesting  excursion  is  that  which  may 
be  taken  by  boat  into  the  Schattegat,  or  inner  lagoon,  which 
is  completely  landlocked  and  protected  by  a  picturesque 
fortress  perched  upon  a  very  high  cliff.  This  fort  is  now 
used  as  a  signal  station,  but  as  the  inland  lagoon  is  deep 
and  capacious  enough  to  contain  a  small  navy,  it  was  for- 
merly the  rendezvous  of  the  famous  pirates  of  the  Spanish 
Main,  who  had  their  lookout  on  the  cliff.  Behind  this 
towering  wall  of  rock,  their  vessels  securely  hidden,  the 
fierce  buccaneers  lay  waiting  for  their  prey,  and  when  the 
lookout  announced  the  approach  of  Spanish  galleons, 
freighted  with  gold  and  silver  from  the  Main,  they  slipped 
out  warily  and  t)ore  down  upon  them  with  resistless  force. 

By  all  means  visit  the  inland  lagoon  and  climb  to  the  old 
fort,  from  which  will  be  afforded  a  fine  view  of  town  and 
harbour,  sea  and  shore  beyond.  From  this  point,  and  also 
from  the  sea.  Curagao  appears  like  a  volcanic  fragment  from 
the  mainland  of  South  America,  the  mountains  of  which, 
in  the  peninsula  of  Paraguana,  are  dimly  visible  always,  and 
on  a  clear  day  in  plain  sight.  The  highest  hill  on  the  south- 
ern coast  is  said  to  consist  of  nearly  ninety  per  cent,  phos- 
phatic  rock,  from  the  mining  of  which  fortunes  have  been 
made,  and  other  fortunes  are  awaiting  its  owners.  The 
works  of  the  mining  company  form  a  little  settlement  by 
itself,  isolated  from  other  parts  of  the  island.  At  one  time 
the  secret  of  the  mines  was  so  jealously  guarded  that  no  one 
was  permitted  within  the  enclosure.  The  company  that 
worked  the  deposits  of  phosphate  paid  the  government 
$200,000  annually ;  but  that  was  in  the  flush  times  of  the 
industry.  Phosphate  is  about  the  only  mineral  resource  of 
the  island,  and  as  its  agricultural  opportunities  are  scant, 
little  remains  to  Curagao  except  its  commerce  and  its  re- 
sources in  the  surrounding  seas. 

Bonaire  and  Oruba.    About    equidistant,    30    miles,    from 


A  GLIMPSE  OF  SOUTH  AMERICA  50Q 

Curagao  are  two  islands,  also  under  Dutch  government, 
Oruba  (Aruba)  and  Bonaire,  the  first  lying  westerly  and 
the  latter  easterly.  Neither  is  often  visited  by  the  traveller; 
and,  truth  to  tell,  there  is  little  of  importance  to  draw 
one  thither.  Both  are  healthful  islands,  the  first  containing 
about  1,000  inhabitants,  the  latter  6.000,  chiefly  engaged  in 
fishing  and  the  vending  of  the  islands'  products,  which  are 
mainly  dividivi,  aloes,  salt,  goats,  and  sheep.  The  only 
steamer  that  visits  them  is  the  Dutch  Intercolonial,  in  the 
interests  of  the  government,  which  makes  weekly  trips  from 
Curagao. 

Steam  Communication.  Curogao:  With  Trinidad  (distant 
about  500  miles)  and  Venezuelan  ports,  the  Dutch  Line 
(Hoi land- America),  which  also  connects  with  New  York  via 
Haitian  ports. 

With  New  York  direct,  touching  at  Porto  Rico,  the 
"Red  D"  line  of  steamers,  which  likewise  connects  with 
Venezuelan  ports. 

Specimen  tour:  Leave  New  York  6th  of  month  ;  arrive  San 
Juan,  nth;  Curagao,  14th;  La  Guayra,  15th  to  17th;  Puerto 
Cabello,  i8th  to  19th;  Curagao,  20th  to  21st;  La  Guayra,  22d ; 
San  Juan,  24th ;  New  York,  29th. 

Curagao-Maracaibo  Service.  Leave  Curagao,  15th;  arrive 
]\laracaibo,  i6th ;  leave  ]Maracaibo,  19th;  arrive  Curagao,  20th. 

Note. — Passengers  for  Venezuelan  ports  must  be  provided 
with  passports  and  certificates  of  vaccination  vised  by 
Venezuelan  Consul  in  New  York. 


osties'    JBattery.    JMorro    Castle,  I  Bani,  Santo  Domingo,  233. 
)3;   Jamaica,    166.  |  Banica,  Santo  Domingo,  234. 


INDEX 


Abacos  Islands,  Great  and  Little, 

Bahamas,   59.   60. 
Abercromby,     Sir    Ralph,    476;     in 

St.    X'incent,    405. 
Accompong,   Jamaica,    174. 
Acklin   Island,  Bahamas,  66. 
Acul,   Haiti,   263. 
Adjuntas,  Porto  Rico,  281. 
Admiral's   Cave,   Bermudas,   36. 
Admiralty  House,   Bermudas,  26. 
Aguada,    Porto    Rico,    281,    282. 
Aguadilla,   Porto   Rico,  282,   283. 
Aguas    Buenas,    Porto    Rico,    283; 

caves  of,  285. 
Aguti,   the.   453. 
Aibonito,   Porto   Rico,   283. 
Alamada,  Santiago  de  Cuba,  123. 
Alger's      Spanish-American      War, 

Alicetown,   Bahamas,   61. 
Alligator  shooting,  Trinidad,  477. 
Almandares  River,  Cuba,  97,  99- 
Altamira,    Santo   Domingo,   250. 
Alto  Cedro,  Cuba,  112,  115,  137. 
Alto  Sano,  Porto  Rico,  283,  284. 
American    colonies    in    Cuba,    no, 

133;  flag  first  saluted,  332;  hotel, 

Bermudas,      25,      37;      railroad, 

Porto   Rico,   279,  280. 
Amsterdam,   Fort,   Curagao,   505. 
Anacaona,  Queen,  Santo  Domingo, 

234- 
Afiasco,  Porto  Rico.  283. 
Andrew   Doria,   'Statia,   333. 
Andros  Island,   Bahamas,  61,  62. 
Anegada  Island,  322,  323. 
Angostura   Bitters,  Trinidad,  461. 
Anguilla,   Island  of,  327. 
Animal-Flower      Cave,      Barbados, 

419.   420. 
Annotto  Bay,  Jamaica,  186,   187. 
Anse   d'Arlets,    Martinique,   384. 
Antigua    Island,    topography,    etc., 

346;    historical    sketch    of,    348; 

steamship   connections,    348. 
Antomarchi,   Dr.    122. 
Apostles'    Battery.    Morro    Castle, 

93;   Jamaica,    i66, 


Arbousier,    usine    of,    Guadeloupe, 

356. 
Archillos,    caves    of,     Porto    Rico, 

288. 
Architecture  of  Havana,  86. 
Arecibo,    Porto    Rico,    284. 
Arima,    Trinidad,    477,    480,    481, 

484. 
Armadillo,   Trinidad,   453. 
Arouca,   Trinidad,  476. 
Arrows,    Bay   of,    Santo    Domingo, 

239- 
Arroyo,  Porto  Rico,  285. 
Asphalt,    Trinidad,    490;    lake    of, 

490-492. 
Atares,  castle  of,  Havana,  92. 
Atlantic   Steamship  Line.   139. 
Atlas    Service,    the,    of    Hamburg- 
American  Line,    17. 
At  Last,  quoted,  on  Trinidad,  468, 

481-483. 
Aux    Caves,   Haiti,   271. 
Ayme,  Hon.   L.  H.,  in  Martinique, 

380. 
Azua,  Santo  Domingo,  233. 

Bahamas,  the,  situation,  extent, 
area,  etc.,  45;  chief  islands  of, 
products,  revenues,  46;  currency 
of,  57;  history  of,  69-71;  steam 
communication  with,  15,  58,  59, 
68,   69. 

Bahia  Honda,  Cuba.  100;  Steam- 
ship  Line,    Cuba,    139. 

Baileytown,   Bahamas,   6r. 

Bajobonico,  Santo  Domingo,  250; 
river,   252. 

Baker,  Captain  L.  D.,  Jamaica, 
183. 

Balaclava,   Jamaica.    173. 

Ballaja  barracks,  San  Juan,  Porto 
Rico,   305. 

Balliceaux    Island,   429. 

Baltimore- Jamaica  Steamship  Route 
(I'nited  Fruit  Co.),  19. 

Banes,    Cuba,    iii,    112. 

Bani.  Santo  Domingo,  233. 

Banica,  Santo  Domingo,  234. 


512 


INDEX 


Banos  de  Coamo,  Porto  Rico, 
288. 

Baracoa,  port  of,  Cuba,  115,  116, 
117. 

Barahona,  Santo  Domingo,  234. 

Barbados  Island,  409-428;  climate, 
409;  resources  and  scenerj',  410; 
blacks  of .  4 1 3  ;  excursions  in,  4 1 5 ; 
communication  with,  423;  his- 
torical sketch  of,  424-428;  hotels, 
422,  423. 

Barbuda  Island,  349;  game  pre- 
serve,   349;    reefs    of,    350. 

Barranquitas,    Porto    Rico,   285. 

Banos,    Porto    Rico,    285. 

I'arrouallie,    St.    Vincent,   400. 

Basse   Pointe,   Martinique,    382. 

Basse  Terre,  Guadeloupe,  352. 
353;    hotels   in,    353;    excursions, 

353- 

Basse  Terre,  Saint  Kitts,  336,  338, 
339;   hotels  of,   339. 

Bassin,  Santa  Cruz,  324;  club, 
326. 

Batabano,    Cuba,    100. 

Bath  of  St.  Thomas  the  x\postle, 
Jamaica,   180-182. 

Bathsheba,    Barbados,  417. 

Battowia   Island,   429. 

Bayaguana,    Santo    Domingo,    237. 

Bayanion,    Porto   Rico,    285. 

Bay  rum,  home  of,  St.  Thomas, 
321,    322. 

Bay  Sainte  Marie,  Guadeloupe, 
356. 

Becquia   Island,   429. 

Belen    Church,   Havana,   83. 

Bell  of  the  Fig  Tree,   244. 

Bellamar,   caves   of,   Cuba,    108. 

Bermoothes  (Bermudas),  the,  21, 
28. 

Bermudas,  the,  situation,  scenery, 
etc.,  21;  climate,  topography,  22; 
attractions  of,  2j,\  reefs  of,  24; 
and  England,  15,  19,  39;  and 
New^  York,  steamship  lines  be- 
tween, 14,  38;  history  of  the, 
39-44:  hotels  of,  25,  36.  37,  38; 
and  Halifax,  14,  38;  means  of 
communication    with,    38,     39. 

Eermudez  Asphalt  Lake,  499;  Ber- 
mudez  Company,  499. 

Berry    Islands,    the,    Bahamas,    61. 

Bi-verages,   tropical,   90. 

Biblioteca  Nacional.  Havana,  83. 

Bight,   the,    Bahamas,    64. 

Biminis,  the,   Bahamas,   60,   61. 


Birds  of  Tobago,  443. 

Blackbeard's  Tower,  St.  Thomas, 
17- 

Blackbeard  the  pirate  in  Bahamas, 
51,  70. 

Black  Caribs  of  St.  Vincent.  406. 

Black  Republic,  the,  by  Sir  S.  St. 
John,    268. 

Black    River,    Jamaica,    176. 

Black    River,   Jamaica,    192,    193. 

Blackwood,  Captain  J.  A.,  Santa 
Cruz,   325. 

Blockade  runners,  Bermudas,  42; 
in    Bahamas,    71. 

Bloody    Bay,    Tobago,    444,    446. 

Blue    Basin,    the,    Trinidad,   472. 

Bluefields,    Jamaica,    193. 

Blue  Hills,  the,  Bahamas.  48. 

Blue   Hole,   the,    Bermudas.    29. 

Blue  Mountain  Peak,  Jamaica,  162, 
163,    164. 

Bluff,  the,  Bahamas,  63,  64. 

Boat    Harbour,    Bahamas,    62. 

Boaz  Island,  Bermudas,  33. 

Boca  del  Drago,  or  Grande,  Trini- 
dad, 485. 

Boca  del  Serpiente,  Trinidad,  492. 

Bocas,   the,  Trinidad,  484-487. 

Boers,  the,  in  Bermudas,  35,  44. 

Bog  Walk   River,   Jamaica,    171. 

Bohios,   Cuba,    138. 

Boiling  Lake,   Dominica,   359,   366. 

Boiling   Springs,    Barbados,   418. 

Bolivar,  city  of,  500,   502. 

Bonaire  (Buen  Ayre),  507,  508, 
509- 

Bonao,   Santo  Domingo,  236,   242. 

Bonaparte's     Cocked     Hat,     329. 

Boniato   drive,   the,    Cuba,  4123. 

Book  of  Trinidad,  the,  quoted, 
491,    492. 

Booth  Steamship  Co.  (to  Barba- 
dos), 20. 

Boston-Jamaica  route  (United 
Fruit   Co.),    19. 

Botanic  Garden,  Grenada,  434;  sta- 
tion, St.  Lucia,  390;  garden,  St. 
Vincent,  399:  gardens,  Trinidad, 
466,    467,    468. 

Botanical  station,  Antigua,  347; 
Dominica,  363;  gardens,  Havana, 
91. 

Bottom,  town  of,  Saba,  329,  330. 

"Bounty,"  mutiny  of,   399. 

Bowden,   Jamaica,    180. 

Boya,   Santo   Domingo,  237. 

Breadfruit,  St.  Vincent,  399. 


INDEX 


513 


Bridgetown,  Rarbados,  411-414, 
424;  boat  fares  in,  412;  wages 
in,  415;  excursions  from,  415; 
hack  fares  in,  415;  tramway, 
415;  Tramways  Company,  Ltd., 
415;  St.  Andrew's  Railway  Co., 
Ltd.,    416. 

Bridge  of  boats,  the,  Curagao, 
505,    507- 

Eriggs,  Sir  Graham,  Barbados, 
421,   422. 

Brimstone   Hill,   St.    Kitts,   3:^7. 

Bristol,  England-Jamaica  Steam- 
ship  Route    (Imperial   Line),    19. 

Broken   Jerusalem,   323. 

Brown's  Town,  Jamaica,   190. 

Buccaneer  island,   a,   328. 

r>uccaneers  of  the  Bahamas,  70. 

Buccaneers'  Lagoon,  Curagao,  508. 

Buccaneers'  Stronghold,  the,  Haiti, 
263,   264. 

Cab  and   boat    fares,   etc.,   Port-of- 

Spain,  462,  463,  464,  465. 
Cabanas,   fortifications  of,  Havana, 

75.  94- 
Cabo  Rojo,  Porto  Rico,  286. 
Cacao   culture,   Grenada,   433,   438; 

Trinidad,   456. 
Cacocum,  Cuba,   137. 
Cafes   and   restaurants   of   Havana, 

89. 
Caguas,    Porto    Rico,    286. 
Caibarien.    Cuba,    109,    132. 
Caicos,  the,   Bahamas,   67. 
Caimanera,    Cuba,    118. 
Caimans,  of  Trinidad,  484. 
Camaguey,   Cuba,   109,   134,   137, 
Camarones,    12. 
Cainino  real,  Porto  Rico.  278. 
Camp      Jacob,      Guadeloupe,      353, 

354- 
Campanero,   the,   Trinidad,   453. 
Camuy,    Porto   Rico,   287. 
Canarios,   Los.   Cuba,    100. 
Cane  River   Falls,  Jamaica,   179. 
Caney,   El,   Cuba,    123,   124. 
Cannibals  of  Guadeloupe,  351. 
Canouan    Island,   430. 
Caonabo,  Carib  chieftain,  home  of, 

^33- 
Caparra,   Porto   Rico,   285,   286. 
Cape   Cruz.   Cuba,   126,    127. 
Cape   Haiticn,   Haiti.   256-259. 
Capesterre,   Guadeloupe,   355. 
Carbet,   Martinique,   378,   383. 
Cardenas,  Cuba,   109. 


Carenage,  Grenada,  434- 

Cariacou  Island,  of  the  Grena- 
dines, 430. 

Carib   carvings,   Guadeloupe,   355. 

Carib  Country,  Dominica,  364, 
365. 

Carib  Rock,  St.  Kitts,  340. 

Caribs  of  Antigua,  348;  of 
Guadeloupe,  351;  Dominica, 
361,  365;  of  Grenada,  437; 
St.    V'incent,  398,   405.  406,  407. 

Caridad,  Nuestra  Sefiora  de, 
Cuba,     125. 

Carlisle    Bay,    Barbados,    412,    424. 
j  Carolina,   Porto   Rico.   287. 

Caroni    River,    Trinidad,    477. 
I  Carrion  crows  of  Trinidad,   461. 
I  Casa     Blanca,     San     Juan,     Porto 
I     •  Rico,    304. 

Casa    de    Colon,    Santo    Domingo, 
220. 
i  Cascadura,   the,    Trinidad,   452. 

Case    Pilot,    Martinique,    384. 
i  Casilda,    Cuba,    128. 
t  Cassareep,   cassava  juice,    11. 

Castillo  de  la  Punta,   Havana,  79. 

Castillo   del    Principe,   Havana,   92. 

Castle    Harbour,    Bermudas,    27. 

Castleton   Gardens,   Jamaica,    159. 
!  Castries,    St.    Lucia,    391,    392. 

Cat    Island,    Bahamas,    63,    64. 

Cathedral  of  Havana,  81,  82;  of 
Santo    Domingo,    224-228. 

Caura  Valley  and  Waterfall,  Trin- 
idad,   476. 

Cauto  River,  Cuba,    127. 

Cavern  of  the  Dead,  Porto  Rico, 
307. 

Cayey,    Porto    Rico,    287. 

Cayman    Brae,    196. 

Caymans,    the,    195,    196. 

Caj'O    Smith,    Cuba,    120. 

Ceballos    colony,    Cuba,    133. 

Cedros  and  San  Fernando  steam- 
ers,  Trinidad,   488. 

Central  Railway,  Santo  Domingo, 
249-251. 

Cerro,  the,  Havana,  96;  de  Aripo, 
Trinidad,  457;  de  los  Cristales, 
Cuba,  10 1 ;  de  Sal,  Santo  Do- 
mingo,   235. 

Cervera,  Admiral,  in  Santiago 
Harbour,     119,     120. 

Cervera's  fleet,  where  destroyed, 
126,     127. 

Chacachacare,  Trinidad,  485,  486, 
487. 


514 


INDEX 


Chaguaramas    Bay,    Trinidad,    485. 
Chalk  Cave,   Bermudas,  27. 
Champ  de  Mars,  Haiti,  266. 
Chaparra  sugar  mill,    no. 
Chapels     and     Reliquaries,     Santo 

Domingo,    225. 
Charlestown,     Xevis,     hot     springs 

of,    341. 
Charlotte     Amalia,      St.      Thomas, 

316,    318,    319. 
Charlotte,    Fort,    Nassau,    54. 
Charlotte    Town,    Grenada,    436. 
Charlotte  Ville,  Bahamas,   54;    To- 
bago,   442. 
Chateaubeiair,     St.     \'incent,     400, 

404. 
Cherokee   Sound,  Bahamas,   60. 
Choiseul,    St.    Lucia,    394. 
Chorrera,     the,     Havana,     92,     96, 

98. 
Christiansted,    Santa    Cruz.    324. 
Christophe,     General,     Haiti,     258; 

castle  of,  259;   palace  of,   260. 
Churches,    ancient,    of    Santo    Do- 
mingo,   222,    22^. 
Ciales,    Porto    Rico,    288. 
Cibao,   Santo   Domingo,   249,   252. 
Cidra,    Porto    Rico,    289. 
Ciego  de  Avila,   Cuba,   132,  133. 
Cienfuegos,   Cuba,    128,    129,    130. 
Cigar   factories,    Havana,    91. 
Cinchona       plantations,       Jamaica, 

161,    162. 
Ciudad      Bolivar,      Orinoco,      500, 

502. 
Clubs,   social,   Havana,  84. 
Clyde  Line  to  Santo  Domingo,  18, 

254- 
Coaling  station,  St.   Thomas,  320. 
Coamo    Springs,    Porto    Rico,    2S8, 

289. 
Cobre,    Virgin  of,   Cuba,    125.    126. 
Cocal,   the,   Trinidad,  481,   484. 
Cockburn  Harbour,   Bahamas,  67. 
Cockpit    country,    Jamaica.     174. 
Cocoa-palms      of      Trinidad,      456, 

484. 
Cocoanut  Hill,  Montserrat,   344. 
Codrington        Village,        Barbuda, 

349- 
Codrington  College,  Barbados,  420, 

421. 
Cnjimar,  beach   of,  99. 
Cole's    Cave,    Barbados,    418. 
Colon    cemetery,    Havana,    95. 
Colonial    Hotel,    Nassau,     55,    56; 

Porto    Rico,    306. 


Columbus,  Christopher,  statue  of, 
Nassau,  53;  anchor,  the.  Haiti, 
257;  effigy  of,  Havana,  81,  82; 
point,  Bahamas,  64;  in  Porto 
Rico,  282;  remains  of,  Santo 
Domingo,  22%-2i2\  square,  Port- 
of-Spain,  458;  tower,  Santo  Do- 
mingo.   221. 

Comate  Waterfall,  Santo  Domingo, 

Comerio.   Porto   Rico,   289. 

Concejo,    Porto    Rico,   284. 

Concepcion  de  la  Vega,  Santo  Do- 
mingo,  241,    242. 

Concepcion,  Fort,  Santo  Domingo, 
244. 

Constant  Spring  Hotel,  Jamaica, 
157- 

Constanza,    Santo    Domingo.    242. 

Coolies  in  Jamaica,  202;  Trinidad, 
462,  463. 

Coral  Bay,   St.  John,  321. 

Coro,    Venezuela,    504. 

Corojal    Bay,    Cuba,    113. 

Corozal,   Porto  Rico,  289. 

Corral  de  los  Indios,  Santo  Do- 
mingo,   234. 

Cotubanama,  chief,  Santo  Do- 
mingo,   236. 

Cotui,   Santo   Domingo,   242. 

Courland.   Duke   of,  Tobago.   445. 
'  Crane's,    Barbados,    415,    416. 
j  Crapaud,  edible,  the,   12,  366. 

Creoles   of   Martinique,   372,    374. 
I  Cristo,   Cuba,    125,    138. 
I  Crooked    Island,    Bahamas.    65. 
;  Crown      lands,       Dominica,       368; 
Saint    Lucia,    380;    St.    \'incent, 
407,    408;    Tobago,    444. 

Cruising  in  the  Caribbees,  quoted, 
374  et  seq. 

Crusoe,  Robinson,  in  Tobago,  447- 
449. 

Crusoe's  Island,   quoted.   441,   445. 

Cuba,  physical  features,  area, 
rivers,  flora,  climate,  fauna,  etc., 
73,  74;  currency  and  customs, 
74;  historical  sketch  of,  139- 
144;  connections  with,  138,  139; 
railway,  the,  113,  131-138,  in- 
clusive. 

Cuban   Steamship  Co.,   139. 

Cubitas,    Cuba,    138. 

Cueva  de  los  Frailes,  Santo  Do- 
mingo,   253, 

Cueva  Cajita,   Porto  Rico,  294. 

Cul   de   Sac,   Haiti,  269. 


INDEX 


515 


Culebra,    Porto    Rico,    290. 

Culebrina   River,    Porto   Rico,    281. 

Cumana,     Venezuela,     503,     504. 

Cumbre,  the  Vunniri  \'alley,  107; 
Santo  Domingo,   250. 

Cuna  Cuna  Pass,  Jamaica,  181,  186. 

Cunningham   Lake,    Bahamas,   48. 

Curacao,  coast  of  Venezuela,  504- 
508;  discovered  by  \'espucci, 
504;   communication   with,   509. 

Current   Island,    Bahamas,   63. 

Dahomey's    king     in     Martinique, 

380. 
Daiquiri,     Cuba,     119;    iron    mines 

of,    125. 
Damiju    River,    Cuba,    130. 
Davis,      Rear     Admiral,     Jamaica, 

206,    207,    208,   210. 
Dead   Man's   Chest,   2>^^- 
Deep   Creek,    Bahamas,   62. 
Defoe,    Daniel,    author   of   Crusoe, 

447.    449- 
r)e  Graaff.   Governor,  333. 
Demerara    Line,    20. 
Desirade,   Guadeloupe,   351.   357. 
Dessalines,  General,  Haiti,   258. 
Devil  Mountain,   Dominica,  359. 
Devil's  Hole,   Bermudas,  27;  hoof, 

the,      331;      "Woodyard,"      the, 

Trinidad,    479. 
Devonshire  Church,  Bermudas.  31. 
Diablotin,      the,      Trinidad,      485; 

mountain,  Dominica,  359. 
Diamant,  Martinique,  384. 
Diamond    Rock,    ship,    Martinique, 

385.    427- 
Diego     Martin     \'alley,     Trinidad, 

472. 
Dogs,    the,    islands,    ^^l- 
Dominica    Island,     359,     360;      ho- 
tels,  367;   historical   sketch,    368- 

370;   steam  communication  with, 

368. 
Don    Christopher's    Cove,   Jamaica, 

187. 
Dorado,   Porto   Rico,   291. 
Dorsetshire    Heights,    St.    Vincent, 

398. 
Dry   Harbour,   Jamaica,    190. 
Dry    Rivers,    St.    Vincent,    404. 
Ducking  Stool,  the,  Bermudas,  27. 
Dunmore   Town,    Bahamas,   62. 
Dutch     possessions.    West    Indies, 

area,    etc.,    507. 
Dutchman's    Cap,    323. 
Dyiiastes  Hercules,  Dominica,  366. 


Karthquake.  Kingston  (Jamaica), 
of  1907,  203-212;  freaks  of  the, 
212. 

East  Coast  (Florida)  Hotel  Com- 
pany, 54;  railway,  Florida,  15, 
47,    55.    139- 

El  Dorado,  sought  by  Raleigh, 
494;    where   situated,    500. 

Eleuthera,    Bahamas,   62. 

Eli's    Harbour,    Bermudas,    iZ- 

English  Harbour,  Antigua,  346. 

FLnglishman's   Bay,   Tobago,   444. 

Enriquillo  Lake,  Santo  Domingo, 
234- 

Esperanza,   Santo  Domingo,   248. 

Esprit,    Martinique,   383. 

Estrella  Point  and  battery,  Cuba, 
119. 

F:very,  J.  G.  C,  Cons.  Agt.,  'Sta- 
tia,    335- 

Ewarton,   Jamaica,    176. 

Exuma  Sound,  Bahamas.  63. 

Exumas,  Great  and  Little,  Ba- 
hamas,  63. 

Fairy  Land,  Bermuda,   26. 
Fajardo,    Porto    Rico,    291. 
Falmouth    Fort,    Jamaica,    190- 
Fancy    estate.    St.    Vincent,   404. 
Farley   Hill,    Barbados,   421. 
Fer    de    Lance,     Martinique,     374, 

385:  St.  Lucia,  388,  389- 
Fern  Gully,  Jamaica,  177. 
Ferriere,  La,  castle  of,  Haiti,  259, 

261. 
Ferrocarril      Central      Dominicano, 

219. 
Fig  Tree  Church.  Xevis,  343. 
Fincastle,    Fort,    Nassau,    53. 
Five    Islands,    Trinidad,    484,    487; 

steamers  to.  486. 
Flamingo    Pond,    Anegada.    323. 
Flatt's    \'illage.    Bermudas.    27. 
Flying-fish,    Barbados.    411,    415. 
Fontaine  chaude,   Martinique,   380. 
Foods  and  beverages,   9. 
Forest  reserve,   Tobago,   443. 
Fort   de    France.    Martinique,    379- 

382;   hotels   of.    381. 
Fort    Royal,    Martinique.    379. 
Fortalezas  of  Cuban  trocha,    132. 
Fortune   Island,   Bahamas.   66. 
Fountain     of    Youth,    the.     where 

situated,   61. 
FranQoise.   Martinique,   383. 
Frazer's  Hog  Cay.  Bahamas,  61. 
Frederiksted,   Santa   Cruz,  324. 


Si6 


INDEX 


Frenchman's  Bay.  St.  Thomas,  318. 
Fresh   Creek,   Bahamas,  dz. 
Froude,  J.   A.,  on   Barbados,  422. 
Fuerza,   La,  Havana,  80. 

Gallows      Bay,      Anegada,      323; 

island,      Bermudas,      2T,      point, 

Jamaica,     167. 
Gambier   Village,    Bahamas,    54. 
Gardens  of  the   Queen,   Cuba,   127. 
Garrote,    the,    Havana,    78. 
Gihara,   port   of,   Cuba,    no. 
Gibb's  Hill  Lighthouse,  Bermudas, 

Gilded    King,    the,    500. 
Glasgow-West       Indies       steamers 

("Direct"  Line),  20. 
Glass  Window,   Bahamas,  63. 
Goatsucker,  the,   of  Trinidad,  485. 
Golden   \^ale,  Jamaica,   185. 
Gomez,      Maximo,      birthplace     of, 
.  233- 

Gommier  trees,   Dominica,   364. 
Gonaives,    Haiti,     264. 
Gonave,   Haiti,   265. 
Gordon   Town,  Jamaica,    160. 
Gosse,  P.  H.,  in  Jamaica,  201. 
Goulding's    Cay,    Bahamas,    62. 
Gourbeyre,   Guadeloupe,    355. 
Gouyave,    Grenada,    436. 
Government     House,     Nassau,     52; 
Trinidad,  466;  hill,  St.  Thomas, 

317- 
Governor's  Harbour,   Bahamas,  63. 
Grand  Ance   Bay,   Grenada,  434. 
Grand    Bourg,    Martinique,    383. 
Grand   Carenage,  Grenada,  435. 
Grand  Cayman,   195. 
Grand    Etang,    Grenada,   433. 
Grand    Pauvre,    Grenada,    436. 
Grand    Turk,    island   of,    Bahamas, 

67,    68,    69. 
Grande   Terre,   Guadeloupe,  351. 
Grange   Lane,  Jamaica,    167. 
Grantstown,   Bahamas,  48. 
Grappler,      steamer     destroyed      at 

Saint    Pierre,    -i,-]-;. 
Great  Bahamas,  the,  59. 
Great   Harbour   Cay,   Bahamas,  61. 
Green   Bay,   Jamaica,   old  tomb   at, 

166. 
Green   Island.  Jamaica.    192. 
Green  Turtle  Cay,  Bahamas,  60. 
Gregory   Park,   Jamaica,    167. 
Gregorytown,    Bahamas,    63. 
Grenada    Island,    429-439;    climate 

and    products,    432;     towns    of, 


436;  Caribs  of,  437;  produc- 
tions of,  438;  hotels,  439;  steam 
communication   with,   439. 

Grenadines,    the,    429,    430. 

Grenville,    Grenada,    436. 

Gros   Morne,    Martinique,    383. 

Guacanaybo   Gulf,    Cuba,    127. 

Guacharos,  cave  of  the,  Trinidad, 
485. 

Guadeloupe  Island,  351;  steam 
communication    with,    358. 

Guanabacoa,    Cuba,   98. 

Guanabo,    Haiti,    265. 

Guanahani,    Bahamas,   64. 

Guanajay,  Cuba.  100. 

Guanica,    Porto    Rico,    309. 

Guanroba   River,    Porto   Rico,   284. 

Guantanamo    Bay,    Cuba.    118. 

Guarabo,    Porto    Rico,    292. 

Guarico,     Haiti,    256.     . 

Guasimas,   Las,   Cuba,    123. 

Guayama,    Porto    Rico,    292. 

Guayanilla,   Porto   Rico,    292. 

Guilarte  Mountain  Peak,  Porto 
Rico,   281. 

Guinea  fowl,  wild,  of  Barbuda, 
349- 

Gulf  (Paria)  steamers'  itinerary, 
Trinidad,    486. 

Gun  Cay,  Bahamas,  61;  hill,  Bar- 
bados, 418. 

Gustavia,    St.    Barts,   328. 

Habanilla   Falls,    Cuba,    130. 
Hackleton's    Cliff,    Barbados,    417. 
Haiti,     general     description,     area, 

population,  etc.,  255;  New  York, 

steamers    between,     17,     19. 
Haiti,  Her  History  and  Detractors, 

by  J.   N.   Leger,   268. 
Haitien,   Cape,   256-259. 
Half-way    Tree.    Jamaica,    157.   ' 
Hamburg-American  Line  steamers, 

17,      270,      etc.;     and      Havana, 

steamers    between,     17;    and    St. 

Thomas,   steamers  between,    18. 
Hamilton,      Alexander,      born      in 

Nevis,  342. 
Ham.ilton,     Bermudas,     21;     hotels 

of,  25;  attractions  near,  25,  26; 

hotel,  the,  Bermudas,  25,  37,  43. 
Harbour   Island,    Bahamas,    62. 
Harrington  College,  Barbados,  421. 
Harrington   Sound,   Bermudas,   27, 

31-   35- 
Hastings,  Barbados,  414. 
Hatillo,   Porto   Rico,   292. 


INDEX 


517 


Ilato   Grande,    Porto   Rico,   292. 
Hato  Mayor,   Santo   Domingo,  236. 
Havana,   Cuba,   approaches   to,    75; 

harbour   of,   76;    landing  at,    76; 

hotels   of,   89;    Santiago   railroad 

rates,    etc.,    138, 
Hearn,   Lafcadio,  quoted,   377. 
Herradura,  colony  of,    103. 
Herrera    Line,    Cuba,    139. 
High    Woods   of   Guadeloupe,   354; 

of      Dominica,     364;      Trinidad, 

479-483. 
Higucy,   Santo   Domingo,  235,   236. 
Hill  of  the  Leapers,  Grenada,  436, 

437. 
Hill  of  Salt,  the,   Santo   Domingo, 

235- 
Hillaby,  Mount,  Barbados,  417. 
Hobson,    Lieutenant,    119. 
Hog    Island,    Bahamas,    47,    51. 
Hole-in-the-\\'all,    Bahamas,   60. 
Holetown,     Barbados,    424. 
Holguin,    town    of,    Cuba,    iii. 
Home  Hotel,  Grenada,  434,  439. 
Homenage,     or     Columbus    Tower, 

221. 
Hope  Gardens,  Jamaica,    158. 
Hope   River,   Jamaica,    160. 
Hopetown,    Bahamas,    60. 
Hormigueros,    Porto   Rico,    293. 
Hotels  of  Havana,  89;  of  Jamaica, 

196,    197. 
Hot  springs  of  Dominica,  362,  363; 

of   Xevis,   341. 
Huevos    Boca,    Trinidad,    485. 
Humacao,   Porto   Rico,   292,  293. 
Hungry    Bay,    Bermudas,    31. 
Hutia,    Cuban   quadruped,    115. 

Ice  house,  Barbados,  415. 

Icterus  Obcri,  new  bird,  344. 

lere,    Trinidad,    493. 

Imperial  Department  of  Agri- 
culture, 370,  390;  Barbados, 
414;  Grenada.  433;  Tobago.  448. 

Imperial  Direct  West  India  Line, 
19. 

Inagua  Island,   Bahamas,   66. 

India,   La,   Havana,   77. 

Ingenio  de  Toledo,  near  Havana, 
98. 

Institute   of  Jamaica,    156. 

Intercolonial  steamers  (Royal 
Mail),    18.    19. 

Ireland  Island,  Bermudas.  33; 
floating  dock,  34. 

Irish-speaking    negroes,    345. 


Isaacs,  Great  and  Little,  the,  Ba- 
hamas.  61. 

Isabel    Segunda,    X'ieques,    308. 

Isabella,  Santo  Domingo,  252,  253; 
Porto  Rico,   293. 

Island  steamboat  service,  Ber- 
mudas,  33,   35. 

Isle  of  Pines,  Cuba,  loi;  Steam- 
ship Co.,  139. 

Jacmel,   Haiti,    270. 

Jai  Alai,    Havana,   85. 

Jamaica,  general  description,  145; 
Crown  lands  of,  145;  mountains 
of,  145;  rivers,  springs,  mineral 
resources,  146;  climate  and 
vegetation,  147;  exports  and  im- 
ports, 147;  roads  and  railways, 
148;  railway  system  and  time 
tables,  149-151;  mail  coaches, 
coastal  steamers,  steamship  con- 
nections with,  152;  New  York, 
steamers  between,  17,  18;  Spa, 
the,   Jamaica,    194. 

Janico,    Santo    Domingo,    247. 

Jarabacoa,    Santo   Domingo.   242. 

Jardin  des  Plantes,  Martinique, 
374- 

Jeremie,    Haiti,    271. 

Jesus  del   Monte,   Havana,   96. 

Jibaros    of    Porto    Rico,    277. 

Tohn  Crow  Mountains,  Tamaica, 
182. 

Jones,  John   Paul,   in  Tobago,  447. 

Joseph's  History  of  Trinidad 
quoted,   490. 

Josephine,  Empress,  Martinique, 
379.    384- 

Joyce's  Dock  Caves,  Bermudas, 
29. 

Juana  Diaz,  Porto  Rico,  293. 

Jucaro,    Cuba,    128,    132. 

Judgment    Cliff,    Jamaica,    180. 

Jucgo   de  Pclota.   85. 

Juncos,    Porto    Rico,    293. 

Kettle  Hill,   Cuba.    123. 

Killarney    Lake.    Bahamas,    48. 

King  George   Fort,  Tobago.  442. 

King's   Bay,   Tobago,  443. 
[  King's   House,   Jamaica,    158. 
I  Kingsley's     classic     on      Trinidad, 


481. 


Kingston,  Jamaica,   153- 158;. earth- 
quake   in,    203-212. 
Kingstown,   St.    X'incent,   397,   398. 
Kittefonians,    the,    340. 


Si8 


INDEX 


Labat,     P'ere,     historian,     quoted, 

437- 
Laborie,    St.    Lucia,    394. 
La    Rrea    (Pitch    Lake),    Trinidad, 

488;    steamers    to,    488. 
La  Coupe,  Haiti,  267. 
La   Ferriere,  castle  of,  Haiti,   259, 

261. 
La     Gloria,     American    colony     in 

Cuba,    no. 
La   Guayra,    \>nezuela,    504. 
Lake  of   Fire,  the,  Bahamas,  49. 
La  Maya,  Cuba,   119,  137. 
Lamentin,    Martinique,    383. 
Landfall     of     Columbus,     first,     in 

Bahamas,  64,  65. 
La    Pagerie,    Martinique,    384. 
Lappe,    the,    Trinidad,    453. 
Larcom,    Lucy,    lines    by,    on    Ber- 
mudas,   28. 
Lares,    Porto    Rico,   294. 
Las    Marias,    Porto    Rico,    294. 
Las     Palmas     Hotel,     Porto     Rico, 

278. 
Laudat,    Dominica,    366,    367. 
Laurel  Moat,  the.   Cabanas,  94. 
Layou   Flats,  Dominica.  360. 
Leclerc,     General,     in     Haiti,     257, 

258. 
Leeward   coast,   St.    Vincent,   399. 
Leeward    Islands,    government    of, 

346. 
Lewiston,   Cuba,    137. 
Lily  fields,  Bermudas,  26,  36. 
Lime     culture,     Montserrat,     345 ; 

Dominica,    370. 
Linstead,  Jamaica,   176. 
Little    Cayman,    196. 
"Little    England,"    Barbados,    409, 

422. 
Loiza,    Fort    Rico,   294. 
Long   Bay    Cay,   Bahamas,   62. 
Long  Bay  Castle,   Barbados,  417. 
Long      Bird      Island,      Bermudas, 

29. 
Long   Island,    Bahamas,    65. 
Lorraine,    Martinique,    382. 
Lot   Fourteen,   St.    \'^incent,  404. 
Luquillo,    Porto    Rico,    295;    forest 

reserve,   267. 

Macareo  River,  Gulf  of  Paria. 
500. 

Macoris,  San  Pedro  de,  Santo  Do- 
mingo,  235. 

Macoris,  San    Francisco  de,  242. 

Madre  de  Cacao,  Grenada,  438, 


'  Maine,     the,     wreck     of,     Havana 

harbour,   94,    95. 
IMaisi,    Cape,   Cuba,    118. 
Malecon,    the,    Havana,    yy,    78. 
Malvern,  Jamaica,    174. 
Maman   loi,    Haiti,   268. 
Manati,   Cuba,    no. 
Manati,    Porto    Rico,    295. 
Manchioneal,  Jamaica,   182. 
Mandeville,    Jamaica,     172,     173. 
"Man    Friday,"  Crusoe's,   a  Carib, 

448.  449- 
Mangrove   Bay,    Bermudas,   33. 
Manjak,    Barbados,    411. 
]Man-of-\\'ar    Bay,    Tobago,    444. 
Manzanillo,    Cuba,    127. 
^Slaracaibo,   Venezuela,   504,   509. 
Maraccas       Waterfall,       Trinidad, 

472,    473,    474- 
IMaraval    Valley,    Trinidad,    472. 
^Targarita,    pearl    island,    503. 
Mariacao,    Porto   Rico,   295. 
^larianao,  Cuba,  97. 
Marie    Galante,    Guadeloupe,    351, 

357. 
Mariel,    Cuba,    100. 
Marigot,      Martinique,      382;      St. 

Martin.    327. 
Marin,    Martinique,    385. 
Marina,     the,      San     Juan,     Porto 

Rico,    305. 
Marine   Hotel,   Barl)ados,  414,  415. 
Marine    Square,    Trinidad,    458. 
Markets,   principal,  of  Havana,  88. 
Maroons,    home   of,    Jamaica,    185, 

186. 
Marriaqua     \'alley,     St.      \'incent, 

400. 
Marsh    Harbour,    Bahamas,    60. 
Martha   Brae,  Jamaica,    191. 
Martinique    Island,    371-386;    com- 
munications     with,      386;      Gut, 

Saba,    331. 
Matanzas,    routes    to.    106. 
Mata   perro,   the,    Trinidad,   453. 
Mayaguana   Island,    Bahamas,  66. 
Mayaguez,  Porto  Rico,  295,  296. 
Mayari   River,  the,    115. 
Mayaro   Trace  and   Bay,   Trinidad, 

479,   484- 
Merced,    La,    church    of,    Havana, 

82. 
Merrimac,    the,    119. 
Miami  to   Nassau,  47,   59. 
Milk    River    Baths,    Jamaica,    193, 

194. 
Millot,   Haiti,   260,    262. 


INDEX 


519 


Miragoane,   Haiti,   270. 

]Moca,  Porto  Rico,  296;  Santo  Do- 
mingo,   243. 

Mole   San  Nicolas,  Haiti,  264. 

Moneague,  Jamaica,   177. 

Money   in   use,    13. 

Monkey  Hill,  St.  Kitts,  339,  340; 
hunting,    338,    343- 

Monkey  Island,  Trinidad,  485; 
town,   480. 

]\ronkeys  of   Barbados,  418. 

Monongahela,     stranding    of     the, 

324- 
Monos,   the,  Trinidad,   485,  487. 
Montague,   Fort,  Nassau,   54. 
Montbars  buccaneers,   328. 
Montego   Bay,  Jamaica,    175,   176- 
?^Ionte      Cristi,      Santo      Domingo, 

:\Iontc      Plata,      Santo      Domingo, 

237- 
Montserrat,      Porto       Rico,      296; 

island,    344,    345;    steamer    con- 
nections,    345;     hermitage,     108; 

hills,    Trinidad,    480. 
!Moore    Town,   Jamaica,    182,    185. 
Morant    Bay,    Jamaica,    180;    cays, 

the,    196. 
Morgan's    Bluff,    Bahamas,    62. 
Morne    Bruce,    Dominica,    363. 
Morne     des     Cadets,     Martinique, 

378. 
Morne  d'Orange,  Martinique,  378. 
Morne     des     Sauteurs,     Grenada, 

436,    437- 
Morne    Fortune,     St.    Lucia,    391; 

Ronde,    St.     X'incent,    402,    403, 

405,     406;     Rouge,     Martinique, 

374;  Saint  Andrew,  St.  Vincent, 

398,   401. 
I\Ioron,  Cuba,  119,   137. 
Morovis,   Porto   Rico,   296. 
Morro  Castle,  Havana,  75,  92,  93; 

Porto   Rico,  301;   Santiago,    119, 

120. 
Moses  boats,    St.   Vincent,  400. 
Mount       Diablo,      Jamaica,       177; 

Langdon,  Bermudas,  26; 

Alisery,   St.    Kitts,    336. 
Mountain  Lake,  Dominica,  364. 
^Mountain  whistler,   Dominica,  364. 
Mud    volcanoes,    Trinidad,    478. 
iSIullet   Bay,    Bermudas,  29. 
Munson    Line    steamers,    route    of, 

16;   rates  and  schedules,   114. 

Xaguabo,  Porto  Rico,  296,  297. 


Nanny    Town,    Jamaica,    180. 
Naparima,    Trinidad,    478. 
Naranjito,    Porto   Rico,   297. 
Naranjo,    Cuba,    iii. 
Nassau,    Bahamas,    46-48,    et   seq.; 

hotels    and    boarding-houses    in, 

55,   56;   communication  with,   58. 
Natural    Bridge,    Jamaica,    178. 
Navidad,    La,    Haiti,    256. 
Nelson,   Lord,   at   Nevis,  342,   343. 
Nevis,   island   of,   341. 
New  Orleans-Havana  steamers,   16. 
New    Plymouth,    Bahamas,   60. 
New  Providence,  Bahamas,  47,  49, 

70. 
New    York    and    Porto    Rico    Line 

steamers,     17. 
Newcastle,  Jamaica,   160. 
Neyba,   Santo   Domingo,   234. 
Nicoll's    Town,    Bahamas,    62. 
Nipe,  bay  and  harbour,  Cuba,  iii, 

1 12. 
Norman   Island,   323. 
North    coast    of    Cuba,     the,     106 

et    seq. 
Nouveau        Voyage       aux        Isles 

d'Amcrique,    Labat's,    353. 
Nueva  Gerona,  Isle  of  Pines,   10 1. 
Nuevitas,  Cuba,   109. 

Obispo  and  O'Reilly  streets,  Ha- 
vana,  88. 

Ocean   Hole,    Bahamas,    63. 

Ocho   Rios,  Jamaica,    188. 

Ocoa,  bay  of,  Santo  Domingo, 
234- 

Olive  Blossom,  the,  at  Barbados, 
424. 

Old    Harbour,    Jamaica,    172. 

Oracabessa    Bay,   Jamaica,    188. 

Orange    Hill,    St.    \'incent,   404. 

Orange,   town  of,   332;    fort,   Z3i- 

Orinoco  River,  mentioned  in 
Crusoe,  448;  a  trip  up  the,  499, 
500,  503;  headwaters  of,  502; 
Indians  of,  501;  resources  of, 
503- 

Orinoco   Steamship  Company,   500. 

Oropuche   region,   Trinidad,  479. 

Oruba    (Aruba),    507,    508,    509. 

Otrabanda,    Curagao,    505. 

Out-islands,  Bahamas,   59,  et  seq. 

Overland,    St.    \'incent,    403. 

Ozama  River,  Santo  Domingo,  2^2. 

Paget  Parish,  Bermudas,  32. 
Pajarito,  Santo  Domingo,   236. 


520 


INDEX 


Palgrave,    W.    G.,    on    Dominica, 

362. 
Palisadoes,  the,  Jamaica,   164. 
Palmer    monument,    the,    Jamaica, 

175- 

Papa   hi,  Haiti,   268. 

Papiamento,  speech  of  Curasao, 
506. 

Papine    Corner,   Jamaica,    160. 

Paradise  Peak,   St.   ]\Iartin,   327. 

Paraguana,  peninsula  of,  Ven- 
ezuela,  508. 

Parham,   Antigua,   346,   347. 

Paria,   Gulf  of,  468,  499. 

Parque  Central,  Havana,  77,  78. 

Parque  de  Colon,  77. 

Paseos   of   Havana,   91. 

Passage    Fort,    Jamaica,    172. 

Passports,    12,    13. 

Patti,    Adelina,    in    Cuba,    121. 

Paynter's  Vale,   Bermudas,   27. 

Peak    \"ie\v,    Jamaica,     180. 

Pearl   Islands,   the,    503,    504- 

Peasant  proprietors,   Grenada.  433. 

Pedro   Cays,  the,  Jamaica,   196. 

Felee,  Mont,  371;  eruption  of, 
374-37-- 

Pembroke   Church,    Bermudas.    26. 

Peninsular  and  Occidental  Line, 
16,    139- 

Peniston   Pond,    Bermudas,    31. 

Penuelas,   Porto   Rico,  297. 

Pepper-pot,   Barbados,  415. 

Peter's    Bay,    Tobago,    443. 

Petit  Anse,   Haiti,   256. 

Petit  Cul  de  Sac,  Guadeloupe,  352, 
355- 

Petit  Goave,  Haiti,   270. 

Petrifactions    of   Antigua,    346. 

Petroleum   district,   Barbados,   418. 

Philadelphia-Jamaica  route  (United 
Fruit   Co.),    19. 

Philipsburg,    St.    Martin,    327. 

Phipps,  Sir  William  (Santo  Do- 
mingo),   248. 

Phosphate    deposits,    Curagao,    508. 

Pickford  and  Black  Line  sched- 
ules,   14,    15. 

Pico    Turquino,    Cuba,    72. 

Pietermaay,    Curagao,    505. 

Pigeon    Island,    St.    Lucia,    395. 

Pinar  del  Rio  Province,  Cuba, 
102;  city,   103. 

Pines,  Isle   of,   Cuba,   loi. 

Pirates  and  buccaneers  of  Ba- 
hamas,   70;    Virgin   Islands.   317. 

Firotecnica  laiilitar,  Havana,  83. 


Pitch  Lake,  the,  Trinidad,  488- 
492;  steamers  to,  488;  output 
of,    489. 

Pitons,   St.   Lucia,  393,  394. 

Pitts    Bay,    Bermuda,    26. 

Placetas  del  Sur,   Cuba,   132. 

Plantain  Garden  River,  Jamaica, 
182. 

Plantation   Hole,    Bermudas,   27. 

Playa  of  Ponce,  Porto  Rico,  297, 
298. 

Plaza  de  Armas,  Port-of-Spain, 
458;  Cienfuegos,  129;  Havana, 
79- 

Plymouth,  Montserrat,  344;  To- 
bago, 442. 

Point  Tabaco,  Cuba,   112. 

Pointe  a  Pitre,  Guadeloupe,  352, 
355.    356,    357- 

Pomme  rose  trees,  Guadeloupe, 
354- 

Ponce,   Porto   Rico,   297,  298,   299. 

Ponce  de  Leon,  Juan,  and  Foun- 
tain of  Youth,  61;  castle,  Porto 
Rico,   304;    statue,  303. 

Population  of  West  Indies  and 
Bermudas,  2,   5,   6. 

Port  Antonio,  Jamaica,  182-185; 
route  to,  from  Kingston,  Ja- 
maica,   177. 

Fort  au  Prince,  Haiti,  265-269. 

Port    de    Paix,    Haiti,    263. 

Port    Henderson,    Jamaica,    170. 

Portland    Gap,    Jamaica,    163. 

Portland   Parish,    Jamaica,    182. 

Port   Maria,  Jamaica.    187. 

Port   Morant,  Jamaica,    180. 

Port-of-Spain,  Trinidad,  457-462; 
•excursions    from,    484. 

Porto  Rico,  general  description, 
climate,  vegetation,  273;  fruits, 
trees,  population,  274;  schools 
and  churches,  275;  public  holi- 
days, health,  etc.,  276;  public 
lands,  forest  reserves,  277; 
hotels,  277;  higlnvays,  278;  dis- 
tances between  chief  points  in 
island,  279;  railroads,  279,  280; 
libraries,  banks,  clubs,  280,  281; 
cities,  towns,  villages,  281,  et 
seq.;  origin  of  name,  282; 
steamship  connections  with,  17, 
306,  311;  historical  sketch,  311- 
315,   inclusive. 

Port  Royal,   Jamaica.   164-166. 

Port    Royal,    Bermudas,    2,2. 

Portsmouth,    Dominica,   361. 


INDEX 


521 


Pcjrt    Tampa-IIavana   steamers,    16. 

J'orus,    Jamaica,     172. 

I'rado,   the,    Havana,   j-j. 

President's  Palace,  Havana,  80,  81. 

Preston,    Cuba,    112. 

Primeval      forest,      Tobago,      443; 

Trinidad,    480-483. 
Prince    Rupert's,   Dominica,   361. 
Princess   Hotel,   Bermudas,   25,   37. 
Princes'    Town,    Trinidad,    478. 
Prospect,    Bermudas,    31,    36. 
Protestant  churches,   Havana,   83. 
Pueblo    \'iejo,    Porto    Rico,    285. 
Puerta  dc  Tierra,  Porto  Rico,  305. 
Puerto  Bueno,   Jamaica,    190. 
Puerto   Cabello,   Venezuela,   504. 
Puerto     Padre,     Cuba,     iio. 
Puerto  Plata,  Santo  Domingo,  248- 

251. 
Puerto   Principe,    Cuba,    134-137. 
Punta,   the,   Havana,    75,   78,   79. 
Punta    Arenas,    Vieques,    308. 
Punta  de  los  Gallos,  Trinidad,  494. 
Punta  Gorda   Battery,    119. 

Quebec  Line,  sailings  and  sched- 
ules, 14,  38,  44;  to  Santa  Cruz, 
326;   St.  Thomas,  etc.,  319,  320. 

Ouebradillas,  Port  Rico,  299. 

Queen's  Park,  Grenada,  434;  Port- 
of-Spain,    470. 

Queen's   Staircase.   Nassau,    53. 

Quenck,  the,   Trinidad,  453. 

Quinta  de  los  Molinos,  91. 

Raleigh,     Sir    Walter.    475,    478, 

489,   501. 
Red    D    Line   steamers,    17,    509. 
Redonda    Island,    343. 
Reefs,   outer,   Bermudas.   24,   35. 
Regla,    near    Havana,    98. 
Richmond,    Jamaica,    178. 
Richmond  estate,  St.  Vincent,  402, 

404. 
Richmond    Hill.    Grenada,   434. 
RiiT,    Fort.    Curagao.    505. 
Rincon,      Santo      Domingo,      234; 

Porto    Rico,    299. 
Rio    Cobra,    Jamaica,     171;    hotel, 

169. 
Rio    del    Oro,    Jamaica,    172,    178; 

Santo   Domingo,   253. 
Rio    Grande.    Jamaica,    185;    Porto 

Rico.    299. 
Rio   Piedras.   Porto  Rico.  299,  300. 
River   Head.  Jamaica,    176. 
Riversdale,  Jamaica,   178. 


Riviere    Pilot,    Martinique,    385. 
Riviere     Salee,     Guadeloupe,     351, 

356. 
Roadtown,    Tortola,    Z22. 
Roaring  River  Falls,  Jamaica,  188, 

189. 
Robert,     Martinique,     382. 
Robinson    Crusoe    in   Tobago,   447, 

449. 
Rochambeau,     General,     in     Haiti, 

258. 
Rock    Fort,    Jamaica,    179. 
Rock    Sound,    Bahamas,   63. 
Roddam,    steamer,    at    St.    Pierre, 

Martinique,   375. 
Rodney,   Lord,  332;  monument  to, 

Jamaica,    168. 
Romana,  La,  Santo  Domingo,  236. 
Roosevelt,      President,     in     Cuba, 

123. 
Roraima,  steamer   destroyed  at  St. 

Pierre,   376. 
Rosalie  Bay,  Dominica,  364,   365. 
Rose  Hall,  Jamaica,   176. 
Roseau,   Dominica.   361,  362. 
Roxborough,   Tobago.   442. 
Royal      Engineer     Quarries,     Ber- 
mudas,   32. 
Royal   Gazette,   Bermudas.   25. 
Royal     ^lail     Steam     Packet     Co., 

routes,   etc.,    18,    19. 
"Royal   Palms,"    Bermudas,   31. 
Royal   X'ictoria   Hotel,   53,   55,   56. 
Rum   Cay,    Bahamas,   65. 
Rum    Island,  the   Virgins,   323. 
Runaway  Bay,  Jamaica,   188. 

Saba  Island,  329,  330,  507;  peak, 
331- 

Sabana  del  Mar,  Santo  Domingo, 
241. 

Sabana    Grande,    Porto    Rico,    300. 

Sagua   la    Grande,    Cuba,    109. 

Saint  Ann's,  Jamaica,  189,  190; 
Barts  Island.  328;  Catherine's 
Peak.  Jamaica,  161;  Chris- 
topher (St.  Kitts),  336;  Croix, 
island  of,  323-326;  Eustatius, 
332;  volcano  of,  333;  John's, 
Antigua.  346,  347;  John,  island, 
321;  Kitts,  island,  336;  com- 
munication with,  339,  340; 
Lucia,  island,  387-395;  moun- 
tains, flora  and  fauna.  387; 
climate,  388:  Crown  lands.  389; 
communication  with,  395;  his- 
torical  sketch,  394;  currency  of, 


\22 


INDEX 


395;  Martin,  327,  507;  Patrick's 
Rock,  Saba,  331;  Pierre,  Mar- 
tinique, 371,  372;  destruction 
of,  374-378;  how  to  visit,  378; 
Thomas,  316;  \'incent,  island, 
3Q7-408. 
Sainte    Claude,    Guadeloupe,     353, 

354- 
Saintes    Islands,    Guadeloupe,    351, 

355.   357- 

Salinas,    Porto   Rico.   300. 

Salt  ponds,  St.  Kitts,  340;  raking, 
Bahamas,    68. 

Salvaleon  de  Higuey,  Santo  Do- 
mingo,  235. 

Salybia,   Dominica,   361. 

Samana   P>ay,   2^7,   238. 

Samana-La  Vega  Railway,  Santo 
Domingo,    241. 

Sampson,   Admiral,    Santiago,    119. 

San  Antonio  de  Guerra,  Santo 
Domingo,    236. 

San  Antonio  de  los  Bafios,  Cuba, 
100. 

San  Augustin,  church  of,  Havana, 
82. 

San    Carlos,    Santo   Domingo,    232. 

San   Cristobal,  Santo  Domingo,  233. 

Sanchez,  port  of,  Santo  Domingo, 
239,    240. 

Sancti    Spiritus,    Cuba,    128. 

San  Diego  de  los  Banos,  springs 
of,  Cuba,  103. 

Sandy  Bay,   St.  Vincent,  403,  406. 

Sandy    Point,    St.    Kitts,    336. 

San    Fernando,    Cuba,    iio,    132. 

San   Fernando,  Trinidad,  478,  479. 

San  Francisco  de  Paula,  church, 
Havana.    82. 

San  Francisco  de  Macoris,  Santo 
Domingo,    242. 

San    German,    Porto    Rico,   300. 

San  Jose  de  los  Llanos,  Santo 
Domingo,    235. 

San  Jose  de  las  Matas,  Santo  Do- 
mingo,  246.    247. 

San    Juan    battlefield,    123,    124. 

San  Juan  de  la  Maguana,  Santo 
Domingo,    233. 

San  Juan,  Porto  Rico,  300-306; 
harbour  of.  300.  301;  ]Morro  of, 
301;  fortifications  of,  302;  an- 
tiquity   of,    303. 

San   Salvador,   Bahamas,  (>2,,  64. 

San   Sebastian,   Porto   Rico,   306. 

Sans   Souci,   palace   of,    Haiti,   260. 

San  Turce,   Porto  Rico,  306. 


Santa  Anna,  caves  of,  Santo  Do- 
mingo,  232. 

Santa  Barbara,  Santo  Domingo, 
238. 

Santa  Catalina,  church,  Havana, 
82. 

Santa  Clara,  church  of,  Havana, 
82;  fort,  Havana,  92;  province, 
Cuba,   131;   town,    131,    132. 

Santa  Cruz,  island  of,  323-325; 
hotels  of,  326;  communication 
with,  326;  mountains,  Jamaica, 
173;    valley,    Trinidad,    472. 

Santa  Cruz  del  Seybo,  Santo  Do- 
mingo,  235. 

Santa  Cruz  del  Sur,   Cuba,    128. 

Santa  Fe,  Isle  of  Pines,  loi. 

Santa  Lucca,   Jamaica,    191. 

Santa    Isabel,    Porto    Rico,    300. 

"Santa  Maria,"  the,  where 
stranded,    64. 

Santiago  de  los  Caballeros,  Santo 
Domingo,    245,    246. 

Santiago  de  Cuba,  119,  121,  123; 
connections    with,    126. 

Santiago  de  la  Vega,  Jamaica.  167. 

Santiago   province,    Cuba,    136-138. 

Santo  Cerro,  Santo  Domingo, 
243.    244. 

Santo  Domingo,  church,  Havana, 
82;  general  description,  213; 
historical  sketch,  214-216;  re- 
sources, 216;  trees  and  fruits, 
217;  climate,  218;  roads  and 
railways,  218,  219;  connections 
with,  18,  254;  capital  city,  220- 
232. 

Santo  Tomas,  fort,  Santo  Do- 
mingo,  247. 

Sapajou,    Trinidad,    453. 

Sapodilla,    fruit,    Curagao,    508. 

Sauteurs,    Grenada,    436. 

Savane,  Fort  de  France,  379,  380. 

Savanna  Grande,   Trinidad,   478. 

Savanna-la-Mar,  Jamaica,    192. 

Savannah   Sound,  Bahamas,  63. 

Savanna,    Port-of-Spain,    469,    470. 

Saw-beetle  of  Dominica,  366. 

Scarborough,    Tobago,   442,   443. 

Schardo,   Curagao,   505. 

Schattegat.   the,   Curagao,   508. 

School    system    of    Cuba,    84. 

Scott's   Head,    Dominica,    361. 

Sea  Gardens,  Bahamas,  50;  Ber- 
mudas,   35. 

Selkirk,  Alexander,  and  Crusoe, 
449. 


INDEX 


523 


Serpent  worship,  African,  267, 
268. 

Serpent's  Mouth,  Trinidad,  492. 

Sevilla   del   Oro,    Jamaica,    190. 

Seybo,    Santa    Cruz    de,    235. 

Shafter,   General,   in   Cuba,    123. 

"Shark    papers,"   Jamaica,    156. 

Shopping  district  of   Havana,   87. 

Sierra  de  los  (^rganos,  Cuba, 
102, 

SifReur  Montagne,   Dominica,   364. 

Signal  Hill,  'Statia,  334. 

Silk-cotton   tree,   Nassau,    52. 

Silla,   the,    Trinidad,   472. 

Silver    Shoals,  Santo  Domingo,  248. 

Socapa,  La,   Cuba,   119- 

Sombrero    Island,    326. 

Somers,  Sir  George,  remains  of, 
30. 

Somerset  Parish,  Bermudas,  32, 
33- 

Soufriere  of  Dominica,  361;  of 
Guadeloupe,  353,  354,  355;  of 
Montserrat,  344;  St.  Lucia, 
393;  of  St.  Vincent,  400,  401; 
eruption  of,  1902,  402-404;  how 
to  reach  the,  404;  victims  of, 
407;    bird,    St.    Vincent.    402. 

Southampton-Xew  York-West  In- 
dies   steamers,    18. 

South    Bight,    Bahamas,    62. 

South  coast,  Cuba,  118;  of  Santo 
Domingo,    232-235. 

Southern  Pacific  steamers,  16,  139. 

South  Shore  Road,  the,  Bermudas, 
31- 

Spanish    Rock,    Bermudas,    31. 

Spanish   Town,  Jamaica,    167-171. 

Spanish   Wells,   Bahamas,   63. 

Sponge  market,  Nassau,  Bahamas, 
52. 

Sports  and  pastimes,  Jamaica,   194. 

St.  Catherine's  Peak,  Grenada, 
433- 

St.   Clair  Pasture,  Trinidad,  468. 

St.    David's,    Bermudas,    30. 

St.    George    Hotel,    Bermudas,    30, 

31- 
St.  George's,  Bermudas,  29,  30; 
old  church  of,  29;  forts  and 
hotels,  30;  cay,  Bahamas,  63; 
Grenada,  431;  harbour  and 
town. 

St.  Joseph,  Martinique,  383;  Trin- 
idad,   475. 

.St.    Marc,    Haiti,    264,    265. 

St.   Margaret's  Bay,  Jamaica,   186. 


St.       Thomas      and      the      X'irgin 
Islands,    316;    harbour   of,   319. 
j  St.      Thomas-in-ye-V'ale,      Jamaica, 

177. 
I  'Statia     (St.     Eustatius),     332-335> 
I       507- 

,  Steamship  agencies,    Port-of-Spain, 
497,  498;   routes,   Bermudas  and 
'       West    Indies,    14-20. 
I  Ste.  Anne,  Martinique,  385;  Luce, 
Martinique,     385;     Marie,     Mar- 
tinique,  382. 
Stock's    Point,    Bermudas,    29. 
Students'   Memorial,   the,    Havana, 

1       ^^' 

t  Submerged    city,    Nevis,    341. 

Sulphur    deposits,    Saba,    331. 

Surinam  Quarters,  Jamaica,  174. 
j  Surrender  Tree,  the,  Cuba,  123, 
i       124. 

'  Swettenham,      Governor,      of     Ja- 
maica,   207,    208,   209. 

Tacarigua,   Trinidad,  476. 
Tamana  Mountain,   Trinidad,  457. 
Tamarind    Tree    Church,    Jamaica, 
172. 
'  Tampa-Havana    steamers,    16. 
[  Tarpum   Bay,    Bahamas.   63. 
j  Telegraphs    and    telephones,    Santo 
Domingo,   219,    220. 
Tempest.     The,     scene     of     Shake- 
'       speare's,  Bermudas,  28. 
;  Temple   Rocks,   Bermudas.   36. 

Templete,   the,    Havana.   80. 
'  Terry   theatre,    Cienfuegos.    129. 
I  Tetas  de  Managua,  Cuba,  75. 
Tetas  de   Tomosa,    Cuba,    129. 
Tete   chien,    Dominica,    360. 
Theatres    of    Havana,    86. 
j  Three-fingered  Jack,   Jamaica,    179. 
Tiburon      Peninsula,      Haiti,      270, 
I       271. 

I  Tinajons  of  Camaguey,  Cuba,  135. 
Titchfield,   ^larquis  of,    184;   hotel, 

Jamaica,    184.    185. 
Toa    Alta,    Porto    Rico,    306;    Toa 

Baja,  Porto  Rico,  307. 
Tobago  Island,  440-450;  re- 
sources, 441;  forests  of,  443; 
means  of  communication  with, 
hotels  of.  444;  books  on.  445; 
history  of,  445-449;  Robinson 
Crusoe  in,  447-449;  attractions 
of,  449- 
Tom  Critigle's  Log,  allusion  to, 
155.    167,    182,   201. 


524 


INDEX 


"Tom"  Moore's  Calabash  Tree, 
Bermudas,    28. 

Tcrtola    Island,    j,^-- 

Tortuga,  island  of.  Haiti,  263,  264. 

Tourama  estate,    St.    \'incent,   404. 

Toussaint  I'Ouverture,  Haiti,  257, 
262,    264. 

Tranquillity  Square.  Port-of-Spain, 
458. 

Tree-dwelling  Indians,  Orinoco, 
501. 

Tres  Ojos,  Santo  Domingo,  236. 

Trinidad.  Cuba,  128;  island,  451- 
498;  climate  and  scenery,  451; 
fauna  and  flora,  452-455;  fruits 
and  vegetables,  455;  resources, 
mineral  and  agricultural,  455, 
456;  cities  and  settlements,  457; 
railways,  466,  475;  inhabitants, 
462;  woods  of,  467,  468;  forests 
of,  481-484;  historical  sketch, 
492-496;  steam  communication 
with,  496,  497,  498;  Steamboat 
Co.,    495- 

Trinite,    Martinique,    382. 

Trocha  of  Artemisa,  Cuba,  102;  of 
Ciego  de  Avila,   132,   133. 

Trois   Ilets.   Martinique,  379,  384. 

Trois    Rivieres.    Guadeloupe,    355. 

Trujillo   alto,    Porto    Rico,    307. 

Tuckerstown,    Bermudas,    31. 

Tulipan,    suburb    of    Havana,    98. 

Tunapuna,    Trinidad,    476. 

Tunas    de    Zaza,    Cuba,    128. 

Turk's  Island,  steamers  to,  18;  de- 
scription  of,    66,   69.. 

Turner's  Hall  Wood,  Barbados, 
418. 

Turquino,  Mount,  Cuba,  126;  sur- 
gidero    de,    127. 

Uncinariasis,     the,     Porto     Rico, 

2-7  T. 
Union    Island,    430. 
United    Fruit    Company    steamers, 

19;    in    Cuba,    112;    in    Jamaica, 

183,    etc. 
United    Railways    of    Havana,    99, 

106. 
Utuado,   Porto   Rico,   307. 

Val  de   Paraiso,   Haiti,    263. 
Valverde,    Santo    Domingo,    248. 
\'an  Home,  Sir  W'm.,    112. 
Varadero,    Cuba,   el,    109. 
Vauclin,    Martinique,    383. 
Vaudoux,  the,  in  Haiti,  267. 


\'edado.    the,    Havana,    96. 

\'ega   Alta,    Porto   Rico,    307. 

\'ega    Baja,    Porto    Rico,    308. 

Vega   Real,   Santo   Domingo,   243. 

Vegas  of  Vuelta  Abajo,  Cuba,  103. 

Venezuelan  Mountains  from  Trin- 
idad,   468. 

Venezuelan  ports,  passports  for, 
509- 

\'ento,   near   Havana,   99. 

Victoria,    Fort,  Jamaica,   165. 

Victoria   de  las   Tunas,   Cuba,    137. 

Victoria,  Grenada,  436;  institute, 
Port-of-Spain,  460;  park,  Ber- 
mudas,   25,    26. 

Victory,   Mount,    Santa   Cruz,   325. 

Vieques    Island,    308. 

\'ieux   Fort.   St.   Lucia,   394. 

\'igie.    St.   Lucia,   391. 

\'igilant,   the,    Santa    Cruz,    326. 

\'illa  Duarte,  Santo  Domingo, 
236. 

Villa    Mela,    Santo    Domingo,   237. 

Villanueva  railway  station,  Ha- 
vana,   99. 

Virgin    Gorda    Island,    322,    323. 

Virginius,   the,   massacre,    122. 

\'olante,    Cuban,    '07. 

Voodoos,  home  of,  267. 

Vuelta  Abajo,  Cuba,  102;  Steam- 
ship Co.,  139. 

Wag  Water  River,  Jamaica,  159. 
Walford  Island,  Bermudas,  33. 
Wallibou  estate,   St.   \'incent,  402, 

404. 
Walsingham,  Bermudas,  28. 
Warner,     Sir     Thomas,    tomb     of, 

338,    348. 
Warwick   Church,    Bermudas,    z^. 
Washington,   George,   in   Barbados, 

426. 
Washington,    Lawrence,    in    Cuba, 

118. 
Waterfalls    of    Dominica,    363;    of 

Guadeloupe,  356;  St.  Kitts,  340; 

Santo    Domingo,    232,    251,    307; 

of  Trinidad,   472,  473,  474,  476. 
Waterloo,  Bahamas,  48,  49;  estate, 

St.    Vincent,    404. 
Watlings  Island,   Bahamas,  64,  65. 
West   End,   Santa   Cruz,  324;  club, 

326. 
Western     Railway    of    Cuba,     102, 

104,    105. 
West    Indies,    general    description, 

i;   natural  productions,  2;  popu- 


INDEX 


525 


lation,  2;  history,  3-5;  islands 
composing  the,  5,  6;  distances 
between  principal  ports  in,  6-8; 
how  to  prepare  for  travel  in, 
8;  foods  and  beverages  of,  9, 
12;  board  and  lodging  in,  10-12; 
passports  and  customs,  12,  13; 
money  in   use,    13. 

West  Indian  fruits  and  vegetables, 
2;  foods  and  beverages,  9; 
swizzle-stick,   9;   pepper-pot,   ii. 

Weymiss's  Bight,  Bahamas,  63. 

Wliitaker's    Almanack,  quoted,  460. 

White  Horses  (cliff),  Jamaica, 
180. 

White   River    P'alls,  Jamaica,    189. 

White    Wall,   'Statia,   334- 

"White   Wings"   of   Havana,   87. 

Whitfield  Hall,  Jamaica,   163. 

Willemstadt,  Curagao,  504;  har- 
bour of,  505;  streets  of,  506; 
architecture  of,  505;  government 
of,  507;  sights  in,  507;  ex- 
cursions,  507,   508. 


Windward  coast,  St.  Vincent,  400, 
404,  405;  road,  the  great,  Ja- 
maica,   178. 

Wreck   Hill,   Bermudas,  33. 

Wreckers  of  the  Bahamas,  70,  71- 

Xaragua  Province,  Santo  Do- 
mingo,  234. 

Yabucoa,  Porto   Rico,  308. 
Yallahs    River,    the,    Jamaica,    179. 
Yaqui      River,      Santo      Domingo, 

234,    253- 

Yauco,    Porto    Rico,    309. 

Year  Book,  Trinidad,  quoted,  492. 

Yellow   Caribs,    St.    X'incent,   406. 

Yinkle  and   Yarico,  Barbados,  425. 

Young  Men's  Christian  Associa- 
tion,   Havana,    85. 

"Y.    S."  cascades,  Jamaica,   193. 

Yumuri   Valley,    Cuba,    107- 

Yunque  Mountain,  Porto  Rico, 
273.    277,    309.    310. 

Zaza  del  Medio,   Cuba,   132. 


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Santo  Domingo 


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Jamaica  Service — Boston  and  Port  Antonio,  Bowden  and 
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Spanish  Honduras  Service — New  York  and  Cortez ;  New 
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Guatemala  Service— New  York  and  Barrios  and  Livingston; 
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British  Honduras  Service— New  York  and  Belize;  New 
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Information  with  respect  to  rates,  service,  etc.,  can  be 
obtained  from  City  and  Depot  Ticket  Agents  and  the  follow- 
ing traffic  representatives:  United  Fruit  Co.;  General  Traffic 
Manager,  17  Battery  PI.,  New  York;  Assistant  General  Traffic 
Manager,  321  St.  Charles  St.,  New  Orleans;  General  Passenger 
Agent,  Long  Wharf,  Boston,  Mass. ;  and  Division  Traffic  Agents: 
Pier  I,  N.  R.,  New  York;  5  No.  Wharves,  Philadelphia;  104  E. 
Pratt  St.,  Baltimore,  Md  ;  Charleston,  S.  C. ;  Mobile,  Ala.; 
321  St.  Charles  St.,  New  Orleans,  La. 


